£55 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

CALIFORNIA 
SANTA  CRUZ 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 


1    VI  OTi?  •..)!*  I  V1J    HTUH 


BOOKS  BY 


GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL 


AprU  Gold 

Happiness  Hill 

The  Beloved  Stranger 

The  Honor  Girl 

Bright  Arrows 

Kerry 
Christmas  Bride 

Marigold 

Crimson  Roses 

Miranda 

Duskin 

The  Mystery  of  Mary 
Found  Treasure 

Partners 

A  Girl  to  Come  Home  To 

Rainbow  Cottage 

The  Red  Signal 

White  Orchids 

Silver  Wings 

The  Tryst 

The  Strange  Proposal 

Through  These  Fires 

The  Street  of  the  City 

All  Through  the  Night 

The  Gold  Shoe 


Astra 

Homing 

Blue  Ruin 

Job's  Niece 

Challengers 

The  Man  of  the  Desert 

Coming  Through  the  Rye 

More  Than  Conqueror 

Daphne  Deane 

A  New  Name 

The  Enchanted  Barn 

The  Patch  of  Blue 

Girl  from  Montana 

The  Ransom 
Rose  Galbraith 

The  Witness 
Sound  of  the  Trumpet 

Sunrise 
Tomorrow  About  This 

Time 

Amorelle 

Head  of  the  House 

Ariel  Custer 
In   Tune   with   Wedding 

Bells 
Chance  of  a  Lifetime 


Maris 

Crimson  Mountain 
Out  of  the  Storm 

Exit  Betty 
Mystery  Flowers 
The  Prodigal  Girl 
Girl  of  the  Woods 

Re-Creations 
The  White  Flower 

Matched  Pearls 
Time   of   the    Singing    of 

Birds 

Ladybird 

The  Substitute  Guest 

Beauty  for  Ashes 

Stranger  Within  the  Gates 

The  Best  Man 

Spice  Box 
By  Way  of  the  Silverthorns 

The  Seventh  Hour 

Dawn  of  the  Morning 

The  Search 

Brentwood 

Cloudy  Jewel 

The  Voice 
in  the  Wilderness 


BOOKS   BY 
RUTH   LIVINGSTON  HILL 


Mary  Arden 
(with  Grace  Livingston  Hill) 

Morning  Is  for  Joy 

John  Nielson  Had  a  Daughter 

Bright  Conquest 


The 
Enchanted  Barn 

BY 

GRACE  LIVINGSTON  HILL 


GROSSET   &    DUNLAP 

PUBLISHERS         NEW   YORK 
By  arrangement  with  J.  B.  Lippincott  Co. 

Made  in  the  United  States  of  America 


COPYRIGHT,     1917,     BT     THB     OOLDBN     BtTXA     OOMFAHY 
COPYRIGHT.      1918,      BT     J.     B.     MPPINOOTT     OOMPAKY 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 


CHAPTER  I 

SHIRLEY  HOLLISTER  pushed  back  the  hair  from  her  hot 
forehead,  pressed  her  hands  wearily  over  tired  eyes,  then 
dropped  her  fingers  again  to  the  typewriter  keys,  and  flew  on 
with  the  letter  she  was  writing. 

There  was  no  one  else  in  the  inner  office  where  she  eat. 
Mr.  Barnard,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm,  whose  ste- 
nographer she  was,  had  stepped  into  the  outer  office  for  a 
moment  with  a  telegram  which  he  had  just  received.  His 
absence  gave  Shirley  a  moment's  respite  from  that  feeling  that 
she  must  keep  strained  up  to  meet  bis  gaze  and  not  let  trouble 
show  in  her  eyes,  though  a  great  lump  was  choking  in  her  throat 
and  the  tears  stung  her  hot  eyelids  and  insisted  on  blurring 
her  visior  now  and  then.  But  it  was  only  for  an  instant  that 
she  gave  way.  Her  fingers  flew  on  with  their  work,  for  this 
was  an  important  letter,  and  Mr.  Barnard  wanted  it  to  go  in 
the  next  mail. 

As  she  wrote,  a  vision  of  her  mother's  white  face  appeared 
to  her  between  the  lines,  the  mother  weak  and  white,  with 
tears  on  her  cheeks  and  that  despairing  look  in  her  eyes. 
Mother  hadn't  been  able  to  get  up  for  a  week.  It  seemed  as  if 
the  cares  of  life  were  getting  almost  too  much  for  her,  and  the 
warm  spring  days  made  the  little  brick  house  in  the  narrow 
street  a  stifling  place  to  stay.  There  was  only  one  small 
window  in  mother's  room,  opening  against  a  brick  wall,  for 
they  had  had  to  rent  the  front  room  with  its  two  windows. 


6  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

But,  poor  as  it  was,  the  little  brick  house  had  been  home; 
and  now  they  were  not  to  have  that  long.  Notice  had  been 
served  that  they  must  vacate  in  four  weeks;  for  the  house,  in 
fact,  the  whole  row  of  houses  in  which  it  was  situated,  had 
been  sold,  and  was  to  be  pulled  down  to  make  way  for  a  big 
apartment-house  that  was  to  be  put  up. 

Where  they  were  going  and  what  they  were  going  to  do 
now  was  the  great  problem  that  throbbed  on  Shirley's  weary 
brain  night  and  day,  that  kept  her  from  sleeping  and  eating, 
that  choked  in  her  throat  when  she  tried  to  speak  to  Mr. 
Barnard,  that  stared  from  her  feverish  ejres  as  she  looked  at 
the  sunshine  on  the  street  or  tried  to  work  in  the  busy  monotony 
of  the  office. 

They  had  been  in  the  little  house  nearly  a  year,  ever  since 
the  father  died.  It  had  taken  all  they  could  scrape  together  to 
pay  the  funeral  expenses,  and  now  with  her  salary,  and  the 
roomer's  rent,  and  what  George  got  as  cash-boy  in  a  depart- 
ment store  they  were  just  barely  able  to  get  along.  There 
was  not  a  cent  over  for  sickness  or  trouble,  and  nothing  to 
move  with,  even  if  they  had  anywhere  to  move,  or  any  time  to 
hunt  for  a  place.  Shirley  knew  from  her  experience  in  hunt- 
ing for  the  present  house  that  it  was  going  to  be  next  to 
impossible  for  them  to  find  any  habitable  place  for  as  little 
rent  as  they  were  now  paying,  and  how  could  they  pay  more  ? 
She  was  only  a  beginner,  and  her  salary  was  small.  There 
were  three  others  in  the  family,  not  yet  wage-earners.  The 
problem  was  tremendous.  Could  it  be  that  Carol,  only  four- 
teen years  old,  must  stop  school  and  go  to  work  somewhere  to 
earn  a  pittance  also  ?  Carol  was  slender  and  pale,  and  needed 
fresh  air  and  nourishing  food.  Carol  was  too  young  to  bear 
burdens  yet ;  besides,  who  would  be  housekeeper  and  take  care 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  7 

of  mother  if  Carol  had  to  go  to  work  ?  It  was  different  with 
George;  he  was  a  boy,  strong  and  sturdy;  he  had  his  school 
in  the  department  store,  and  was  getting  on  well  with  his 
studies.  George  would  be  all  right.  He  belonged  to  a  base- 
ball team,  too,  and  got  plenty  of  chances  for  exercise;  but 
Carol  was  frail,  there  was  no  denying  i'v.  Harley  was  a 
boisterous  nine-year-old,  always  on  the  street  these  days  when 
he  wasn't  in  school;  and  who  could  blame  him?  For  the 
narrow,  dark  brick  house  was  no  place  for  a  lively  boy.  But 
the  burden  and  anxiety  for  him  were  heavy  on  his  sister's 
heart,  who  had  taken  over  bodily  all  the  worries  of  her  mother. 
Then  there  was  the  baby  Doris,  with  her  big,  pathetic  eyes, 
and  her  round  cheeks  and  loving  ways.  Doris,  too,  had  to  be 
shut  in  the  dark  little  house  with  the  summer  heat  coming  on, 
and  no  one  with  time  enough  or  strength  enough  to  take  her 
to  the  Park.  Doris  was  only  four.  Oh,  it  was  terrible,  terrible! 
and  Shirley  could  do  nothing  but  sit  there,  and  click  those 
keys,  and  earn  her  poor  little  inadequate  salarv !  Some  day, 
of  course,  she  would  get  more — but  some  day  mig&t  be  too  late ! 

She  shuddered  as  the  terrible  thought  flashed  through  her 
mind,  then  went  on  with  her  work  again.  She  must  shake  off 
this  state  of  mind  and  give  attention  to  her  duty,  or  she 
would  lose  even  this  opportunity  to  help  her  dear  ones. 

The  door  of  the  outer  office  opened,  and  Mr.  Barnard 
entered. 

"Miss  Hollister,"  he  said  hurriedly,  "if  you  have  those 
letters  ready,  I  will  sign  them  at  once.  We  have  just  bad 
word  that  Mr.  Baker  of  the  firm  died  last  night  in  Chicago, 
and  I  must  go  on  at  once.  The  office  will  be  closed  for  the  rest 
of  the  day.  You  can  let  those  other  matters  that  I  spoke  of 
go  until  to-morrow,  and  you  may  have  the  day  oft.  I  shall 


8  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

not  be  at  the  office  at  the  usual  hour  to-morrow  morning,  bat 
you  can  come  in  and  look  after  the  mail.  I  will  leave  further 
directions  with  Mr.  Clegg.  You  can  mail  these  letters  as  you 
go  down." 

Ten  minutes  later  Shirley  stood  on  the  street  below  in  the 
warm  spring  sunshine,  and  gazed  about  her  half  dazed.  It- 
seemed  a  travesty  on  her  poor  little  life  just  now  to  have  a 
holiday  and  no  way  to  make  it  count  for  the  dear  ones  at 
home.  How  should  she  use  it,  anyway  ?  Should  she  go  home 
and  help  Carol?  Or  should  she  go  out  and  see  whether  she 
could  find  a  house  somewhere  that  they  could  possibly  afford 
to  move  to?  That,  of  course,  was  the  sensible  thing  to  do; 
yet  she  had  no  idea  where  to  go.  Eut  they  did  not  expect  her 
home  at  this  time  of  day.  Perhaps  it  was  as  well  that  she 
should  use  this  time  and  find  out  something  without  worry- 
ing her  mother.  At  least,  she  would  have  time  to  think 
undisturbed. 

She  grasped  her  little  package  of  lunch  that  she  had 
brought  from  home  with  her  and  looked  about  her  helplessly. 
In  her  little  thin  purse  was  the  dime  she  always  carried  with 
her  to  pay  her  car-fare  in  case  something  happened  that  she 
had  to  ride  either  way — though  she  seldom  rode,  even  in  a 
storm.  But  her  mother  insisted  on  the  dime.  She  said  it 
was  not  safe  to  go  without  any  money  at  all.  This  dime  was 
her  capital  wherewith  to  hunt  a  house.  Perhaps  the  day  had 
been  given  her  by  a  kind  heavenly  Father  to  go  on  her  search. 
She  would  try  to  use  it  to  the  best  of  her  ability.  She  lifted 
her  bewildered  heart  in  a  feeble  petition  for  light  and  help  in 
her  difficult  problem,  and  then  she  went  and  stood  on  the 
corner  of  the  street  where  many  trolley-cars  were  passing  and 
repassing.  Which  one  should  she  take,  and  where  should  she 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  9 

go?  The  ten  cents  must  cover  all  her  riding,  and  she  must 
save  half  of  it  for  her  return. 

She  studied  the  names  on  the  cars.  "  Glenside  Road  "  one 
read.  What  had  she  heard  about  that  ?  Ah !  that  it  was  the 
longest  ride  one  could  take  for  five  cents  within  the  limits  of 
the  city's  roads  !  Her  heart  leaped  up  at  the  word.  It  sounded 
restful  anyway,  and  would  give  her  time  to  think.  It  wasn't 
likely,  if  it  went  nea±  any  glens,  that  there  would  be  any 
houses  within  her  means  on  its  way;  but  possibly  it  passed 
some  as  it  went  through  the  city,  and  she  could  take  notice  of 
the  streets  and  numbers  and  get  out  on  her  return  trip  to 
investigate  if  there  proved  to  be  anything  promising;  or,  if 
it  were  too  far  away  from  home  for  her  to  walk  back  from  it, 
she  could  come  another  time  in  the  evening  with  George,  some 
night  when  he  did  not  have  school.  Anyhow,  the  ride  would 
rest  her  and  give  her  a  chance  to  think  what  she  ought  to  do, 
and  one  car  was  as  good  as  another  for  that.  Het  resolve  was 
taken,  and  she  stepped  out  and  signalled  it. 

There  were  not  many  people  in  the  car.  It  was  not  an 
hour  when  people  rode  out  to  the  suburbs.  Two  workmen 
with  rolls  of  wall-paper  slung  in  burlap  bags,  a  woman  and 
a  little  girl,  that  was  all. 

Shirley  settled  back  in  her  seat,  and  leaned  her  head 
against  the  window-sash  wearily.  She  felt  so  tired,  body  and 
soul,  that  she  would  have  been  glad  to  sleep  and  forget  for  a 
little  while,  only  that  there  was  need  for  her  to  be  up  and 
doing.  Her  room  had  been  oppressively  warm  the  night 
before;  and  Doris,  who  slept  with  her,  had  rolled  from  one 
side  of  the  bed  to  the  other,  making  sleep  well-nigh  impossible 
for  the  elder  sister.  She  felt  bruised  and  bleeding  in  her  very 
soul,  and  longed  for  rest. 


10  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

The  car  was  passing  through  the  thickest  of  the  city's 
business  thoroughfare,  and  the  noise  and  confusion  whirled 
about  her  ears  like  some  fiendish  monotonous  music  that  set 
the  time  for  the  mad  dancs  of  the  world.  One  danced  to  it 
whether  one  would  or  not,  and  danced  on  to  one's  death. 

Around  the  city  hall  the  car  passed,  and  on  up  Market 
Street.  They  passed  a  great  fruit-store,  and  the  waft  of  air 
that  entered  the  open  windows  came  laden  with  the  scent  of 
over-ripe  bananas,  late  oranges  and  lemons;  a  moment  later 
with  sickening  fumes  it  blended  into  a  deadly  smell  of  gas  from 
a  yawning  hole  in  the  pavement,  and  mingled  with  the  sweat  of 
the  swarthy  foreigners  grouped  about  it,  picks  in  hand.  It 
seemed  as  though  all  the  smells  in  creation  were  met  and  con- 
gregated in  that  street  within  four  or  five  blocks ;  and  one  by 
one  they  tortured  her,  leather  and  paint  and  metal  and  soap, 
rank  cheese  in  a  fellow  traveller's  market-basket,  thick  stifling 
smoke  from  a  street  engine  that  was  champing  up  the  gravel 
they  fed  it  to  make  a  new  patch  of  paving,  the  stench  from  the 
cattle-sheds  as  they  passed  the  railroad  and  stock-yards,  the 
dank  odor  of  the  river  as  they  crossed  the  bridge,  and  then  an 
oilcloth-factory  just  beyond !  The  faint  sweet  breath  of  early 
daffodils  and  violets  from  an  occasional  street  vendor  stood  no 
chance  at  all  with  these,  and  all  the  air  seemed  sickening  and 
dreadful  to  the  girl  as  she  rested  wearily  against  the  window 
with  closed  eyes,  and  tried  to  think. 

They  slipped  at  last  into  the  subway  with  a  whir  and  a 
swish,  where  the  cool,  clean  smell  of  the  cement  seemed 
gradually  to  rise  and  drown  the  memory  of  the  upper  world, 
and  came  refreshingly  in  at  the  windows.  Shirley  had  a  pass- 
ing thought,  wondering  whether  it  would  be  like  that  in  the 
grave,  all  restful  and  sweet  and  quiet  and  clean,  with  the 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  11 

noisy,  heartless  world  roaring  overhead.  Then  they  came  up 
suddenly  out  of  the  subway,  with  a  kind  of  triumphant  leap 
and  shout  of  brakes  and  wheels,  into  the  light  and  sunshine 
above,  and  a  new  world.  For  here  were  broad  streets,  clean 
pavements,  ample  houses,  well-trimmed  lawns,  quiet  people 
walking  in  comfort,  bits  of  flower-boxes  on  the  window-sills 
filled  with  pansies  and  hyacinths ;  and  the  air  was  sweet  and 
clean.  The  difference  made  Shirley  sit  up  and  look  about  her, 
and  the  contrast  reminded  her  of  the  heaven  that  would  be 
beyond  the  grave.  It  was  just  because  she  was  so  tired  and 
disheartened  that  her  thoughts  took  this  solemn  form. 

But  now  her  heart  sank  again,  for  she  was  in  the  world 
of  plenty  far  beyond  her  means,  and  there  was  no  place  for 
such  as  she.  Not  in  either  direction  could  she  see  any  little 
side  streets  with  tiny  houses  that  would  rent  for  fifteen  dollars 
a  month.  There  were  such  in  the  city,  she  knew;  but  they 
were  scarce,  and  were  gobbled  up  as  soon  as  vacant. 

But  here  all  was  spaciousness,  and  even  the  side  streets 
had  three  stories  and  smug  porches  with  tidy  rockers  and  bay 
windows. 

She  looked  at  the  great  plate-glass  windows  with  their 
cobwebby  lace  draperies,  and  thought  what  it  would  be  if  she 
were  able  to  take  her  mother  and  the  children  to  such  a  home 
as  one  of  those.  Why,  if  she  could  afford  that,  George  could 
vgo  to  college,  and  Doris  wear  a  little  velvet  coat  with  rose- 
buds in  her  bonnet,  like  the  child  on  the  sidewalk  with  her 
nurse  and  her  doll-carriage. 

But  a  thing  like  that  could  never  come  to  her.  There  wsre 
no  rich  old  uncles  to  leave  them  a  fortune ;  she  was  not  bright 
and  gifted  to  invent  some  wonderful  toy  or  write  a  book  or 
paint  a  picture  that  would  bring  the  fortune ;  and  no  one  would 


1*  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

ever  come  her  way  with  a  fortune  to  marry  her.  Those  things 
happened  only  in  story-books,  and  she  was  not  a  story-book 
girl;  she  was  just  a  practical,  every-day,  hard-working  girl 
with  a  fairly  good  complexion,  good  blue  eyes  and  a  firm 
chin.  She  could  work  hard  and  was  willing ;  but  she  could  not 
bear  anxiety.  It  was  eating  into  her  soul,  and  she  could  feel 
a  kind  of  mental  paralysis  stealing  over  her  from  it,  benumbing 
her  faculties  hour  by  hour. 

The  car  glided  on,  and  the  houses  grew  less  stately  and 
farther  apart.  They  were  not  so  pretentious  now,  but  they 
were  still  substantial  and  comfortable,  with  more  ground  and 
an  air  of  having  been  there  always,  with  no  room  for  new- 
comers. Now  and  then  would  come  a  nucleus  of  shops  and 
an  old  tavern  with  a  group  of  new  groceries  and  crying  com- 
petition  of  green  stamps  and  blue  stamps  and  yellow  stamps 
posted  alluringly  in  their  windows.  Here  busy,  hurried  people 
would  swarm,  and  children  ran  and  shouted ;  but  every  house 
they  passed  seemed  full  to  overflowing,  and  there  was  nowhere 
any  place  that  seemed  to  say,  "  Here  you  may  come  and  find 
room!" 

And  now  the  car  left  the  paved  and  built-up  streets,  and 
wandered  out  between  the  open  fields,  where  trees  arched 
lavishly  overhead,  and  little  new  green  things  lifted  up 
unfrighteneti  heads,  and  dared  to  grow  in  the  sunshine.  A 
new  smell,  the  smell  of  rich  earth  and  young  green  growing 
things,  of  skunk-cabbage  in  bloom  in  the  swamps,  of  budding 
willows  and  sassafras,  roused  her  senses;  the  hum  of  a  bee 
on  its  way  to  find  the  first  honey-drops  came  to  her  ears.  t 
Sweet,  droning,  restful,  with  the  call  of  a  wild  bird  in  the 
distance,  and  all  the  air  balmy  with  the  joy  of  spring.  Ah ! 
This  was  a  new  world !  This  indeed  was  heaven !  What  a 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  la 

contrast  to  the  office,  and  the  little  narrow  stifling  brick  house 
where  mother  lay,  and  Doris  cut  strings  of  paper  dolls  from 
an  old  newspaper  and  sighed  to  go  out  in  the  Park !  What  a 
contrast !  Truly,  this  was  heaven !  If  she  could  but  stay,  and 
all  the  dear  ones  come! 

She  had  spent  summers  in  the  country,  of  course ;  and  she 
knew  and  loved  nature,  but  it  had  been  five  years  since  she 
had  been  free  to  get  outside  the  city  limits  for  more  than  a 
day,  and  then  not  far.  It  seemed  to  her  now  that  she  had 
never  sensed  the  beauty  of  the  country  as  to-day;  perhaps 
because  she  had  never  needed  it  as  now. 

The  road  went  on  smoothly  straight  ahead,  with  now  a 
rounding  curve,  and  then  another  long  stretch  of  perfect  road. 
Men  were  ploughing  in  the  fields  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other 
lay  the  emerald  velvet  of  a  field  of  spring  wheat.  More  people 
had  got  into  the  car  as  it  left  the  city.  Plain,  substantial 
men,  nice,  pleasant  women ;  but  Shirley  did  not  notice  them ; 
she  was  watching  the  changing  landscape  and  thinking  her 
dismal,  pitiful  thoughts.  Thinking,  too,  that  she  had  spent 
her  money — or  would  have  when  she  returned,  with  nothing 
to  show  for  it,  and  her  conscience  condemned  her. 

They  were  coming  now  to  a  wide,  old-fashioned  barn  of 
stone,  with  ample  grassy  stone-coped  entrance  rising  like  a 
stately  carpeted  stairway  from  the  barn-yard.  It  was  resting 
on  the  top  of  a  green  knoll,  and  a  great  elm-tree  arched  over  it 
protectingly.  A  tiny  stream  purled  below  at  one  side,  and  the 
ground  sloped  gradually  off  at  the  other.  Shirley  was  not 
noticing  the  place  much  except  as  it  was  a  part  of  the  land- 
scape until  she  heard  the  conductor  talking  to  the  man  across 
the  aisle  about  it. 

"  Good  barn !  "  he  was  saying  reflectively.    "  Pity  to  hav« 


14  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

it  standing  idle  so  long;  but  they'll  never  rent  it  without  a 
house,  and  they  won't  build.  It  belongs  to  the  old  man's 
estate,  and  can't  be  divided  until  the  youngest  boy's  of  age, 
four  'r  five  years  yet.  The  house  burned  down  two  years  ago. 
Some  tramps  set  it  afire.  No,  nobody  was  living  in  it  at  tho 
time.  The  last  renter  didn't  make  the  farm  pay, — too  fur 
from  the  railroad,  I  guess, — and  there  ain't  anybody  near 
enough  round  to  use  the  barn  since  Halyer  built  his  new 
barn,"  and  he  indicated  a  great  red  structure  down  the  road 
on  the  other  side.  "  Halyer  useta  use  this, — rented  it  fer 
less'n  nothing,  but  he  got  too  lazy  to  come  this  fur,  and  so  he 
eold  off  half  his  farm  fer  a  dairy  and  built  that  there  barn. 
So  now  I  s'pose  that  barn'll  stand  idle  and  run  to  waste  till 
that  kid  comes  of  age  and  there's  a  boom  up  this  way  and  it's 
sold.  Pity  about  it,  though ;  it's  a  good  barn.  Wisht  I  had  it 
Up  to  my  place ;  I  could  fill  it." 

"  Make  a  good  location  for  a  house,"  said  the  other  man, 
looking  intently  at  the  big  stone  pile.  "  Been  a  fine  barn  in  its 
time.  Old  man  must  uv  had  a  pile  of  chink  when  he  built 
it.  Who'd  ya  say  owned  it  ?  " 

"  Graham,  Walter  Graham,  big  firm  down  near  the  city 
hall — guess  you  know  'em.  Got  all  kinds  of  money.  This  ain't 
one,  two,  three  with  the  other  places  they  own.  Got  a  regular 
palace  out  Arden  way  fer  summer  and  a  town  house  in  the 
swellest  neighborhood,  and  own  land  all  over.  Old  man  in- 
herited it  from  his  father  and  three  uncles.  They  don't  even 
scarcely  know  they  got  this  barn,  I  reckon.  It  ain't  very 
stylish  out  this  way  just  yet." 

"  Be  a  big  boom  here  some  day ;  nice  location,"  said  the 
passenger. 

"  Not  yetta  while,"  said  the  conductor  sagely ;  "  railroad 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  13 

station's  too  far.  Wait  till  they  get  a  station  out  Allister 
Avenue;  then  you  can  talk.  Till  then  it'll  stay  as  it  is,  I  reckon. 
There's  a  spring  down  behind  the  barn,  the  best  water  in  the 
county.  I  useta  get  a  drink  every  day  when  the  switch  was 
up  here.  I  missed  it  a  lot  when  they  moved  the  switch  to  the 
top  of  the  hill.  Water's  cold  as  ice  and  clear  as  crystal — 
can't  be  beat  this  side  the  soda-fountain.  I  sometimes  stop 
the  car  on  a  hot  summer  day  now,  and  run  and  get  a  drink — - 
it's  great." 

The  men  talked  on,  but  Shirley  heard  no  more.  Her  eyes 
were  intent  on  the  barn  as  they  passed  it — the  great,  beau- 
tiful, wide,  comfortable-looking  barn.  What  a  wonderful 
house  it  would  make !  She  almost  longed  to  be  a  cow  to 
enter  this  peaceful  shelter  and  feel  at  home  for  a  little  while. 

The  car  went  on,  and  left  the  big  barn  in  the  distance; 
but  Shirley  kept  thinking,  going  over  almost  unconsciously  all 
the  men  had  said  about  it.  Walter  Graham !  Where  had  she 
seen  that  name  ?  Oh,  of  course  in  the  Ward  Trust  Building, 
the  whole  fourth  floor.  Leather  goods  of  some  sort,  perhaps, 
she  couldn't  just  remember;  yet  she  was  sure  of  the  name. 

The  man  had  said  the  barn  rented  for  almost  nothing. 
What  could  that  mean  translated  in  terms  of  dollars  ?  Would 
the  fifteen  dollars  a  month  that  they  were  now  paying  for 
the  little  brick  house  cover  it?  But  there  would  be  the  car- 
fare for  herself  and  George.  Walking  that  distance  twice  a 
day,  or  even  once,  would  be  impossible.  Ten  cents  a  day, 
sixty  cents  a  week — twice  sixty  cents !  If  they  lived  out  of 
the  city,  they  couldn't  afford  to  pay  but  twelve  dollars  a 
month.  They  never  would  rent  that  barn  for  that,  of  course, 
it  was  so  big  and  grand-looking;  and  yet — it  was  a  barn! 
What  did  barns  rent  for,  anyway? 


16  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

And,  if  it  could  be  had,  could  they  live  in  a  barn  ?  What 
were  barns  like,  anyway,  inside?  Did  they  have  floors,  or 
only  stalls  and  mud?  There  had  been  but  two  tiny  windows 
visible  in  the  front ;  how  did  they  get  light  inside  ?  But  then 
it  couldn't  be  much  darker  than  the  brick  house,  no  matter 
what  it  wss.  Perhaps  there  was  a  skylight,  and  hay,  pleasant 
hay,  to  lie  down  on  and  rest.  Anyhow,  if  they  could  only 
manage  to  get  out  there  for  the  summer  somehow,  they  could 
bear  some  discomforts  just  to  sit  under  that  great  tree  andf 
look  up  at  the  sky.  To  think  of  Doris  playing  under  that 
tree!  And  mother  sitting  under  it  sewing!  Mother  could 
get  well  out  there  in  that  fresh  air,  and  Doris  would  get  rosy 
cheeks  again.  There  would  not  likely  be  a  school  about  for 
Carol ;  but  that  would  not  hurt  her  for  the  summer,  anyway, 
*nd  maybe  by  fall  they  could  find  a  little  house.  Perhaps  she 
would  get  a  raise  in  the  fall.  If  they  could  only  get  some- 
where  to  go  now ! 

But  yet — a  barn !  Live  in  a  barn  !  What  would  mother 
Bay  ?  Would  she  feel  that  it  was  a  disgrace  ?  Would  she  call 
it  one  of  Shirley's  wild  schemes  ?  Well,  but  what  were  they 
going  to  do?  They  must  live  somewhere,  unless  they  were 
destined  to  die  homeless. 

The  car  droned  on  through  the  open  country  coming  now 
and  then  to  settlements  of  prosperous  houses,  some  of  them 
small ;  but  no  empty  ones  seemed  to  beckon  her.  Indeed,  they 
looked  too  high-priced  to  make  her  even  look  twice  at  then? ; 
besides,  her  heart  was  left  behind  with  that  barn,  that  great^ 
beautiful  barn  with  the  tinkling  brook  beside  it,  and  the 
arching  tree  and  gentle  green  slope. 

At  last  the  car  stopped  in  a  commonplace  little  town  in 
front  of  a  red  brick  church,  and  everybody  got  up  and  went 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  V 

out.  The  conductor  disappeared,  too,  and  the  motorman 
leaned  back  on  his  brake  and  looked  at  her  significantly. 

"End  of  the  line,  lady,"  he  said  with  a  grin,  as  if  she 
were  dreaming  and  had  not  taken  notice  of  her  surroundings. 

s<  Oh/7  said  Shirley,  rousing  up,  and  looking  bewilderedly 
about  her.  "  Well,  you  go  back,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Go  back  in  fifteen  minutes/'  said  the  motorman 
indulgently.  There  was  something  appealing  in  the  sadness 
of  this  girl's  eyes  that  made  him  think  of  his  little  girl  at 
home. 

"  Do  you  go  back  just  the  same  way  ? "  she  asked  with 
sudden  alarm.  She  did  want  to  see  that  barn  again,  and  to 
get  its  exact  location  so  that  she  could  come  back  to  it  some 
day  if  possible. 

"  Yes,  we  go  back  just  the  same  way,"  nodded  the  motor- 
man. 

Shirley  sat  back  in  her  seat  again  contented,  and  resumed 
her  thoughts.  The  motorman  took  up  his  dinner-pail,  sat 
down  on  a  high  stool  with  his  back  to  her,  and  began  to  eat. 
It  was  a  good  time  now  for  her  to  eat  her  little  lunch,  but 
she  was  not  hungry.  However,  she  would  be  if  she  did  not  eat 
it,  of  course;  and  there  would  be  no  other  time  when  people 
would  not  be  around.  She  put  her  hand  in  her  shabby  coat- 
pocket  for  her  handkerchief,  and  her  fingers  came  into  contact 
with  something  small  and  hard  and  round.  For  a  moment 
she  thought  it  was  a  button  that  had  been  off  her  cuff  for 
several  days.,  But  no,  she  remembered  sewing  that  on  that 
very  morning.  Then  she  drew  the  little  object  out,  and  behold 
it  was  a  five-cent  piece !  Yes,  of  course,  she  remembered  now. 
It  was  the  nickel  she  put  in  her  pocket  last  night  when  she 
rent  for  the  extra  loaf  of  bread  and  found  the  store  closed 
2 


18  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

She  had  made  johnny-cake  instead,  and  supper  had  been  late; 
but  the  nickel  had  stayed  in  her  coat-pocket  forgotten.  And 
now  suddenly  a  big  temptation  descended  upon  her,  to  spend 
that  nickel  in  car-fare,  riding  to  the  barn  and  getting  out 
for  another  closer  look  at  it,  and  then  taking  the  next  car  on 
into  the  city.  Was  it  wild  and  foolish,  was  it  not  perhaps 
actually  wrong,  to  spend  that  nickel  that  way  when  they  needed 
so  much  at  home,  and  had  so  little?  A  crazy  idea, — for  how 
could  a  barn  ever  be  their  shelter? 

She  thought  so  hard  about  it  that  she  forgot  to  eat  her 
lunch  until  the  motorman  slammed  the  cover  down  on  his  tin 
pail  and  put  the  high  stool  away.  The  conductor,  too,  was 
coming  out  of  a  tiny  frame  house,  wiping  his  mouth  with  the 
back  of  his  hand  and  calling  to  his  wife,  who  stood  in  the 
doorway  and  told  him  about  an  errand  she  wanted  him  to  do 
for  her  in  the  city. 

Shirley's  cheeks  grew  red  with  excitement,  for  the  nickel 
was  burning  in  her  hand,  and  she  knew  in  her  heart  that  she 
was  going  to  spend  it  getting  off  that  car  near  that  barn. 
She  would  eat  her  lunch  under  the  tree  by  the  brook!  How 
exciting  that  would  be!  At  least  it  would  be  something  to 
tell  the  children  about  at  night!  Or  no!  they  would  think 
her  crazy  and  selfish,  perhaps,  to  waste  a  whole  day  and  fifteen 
cents  on  herself.  Still,  it  was  not  on  herself;  it  was  really  for 
them.  If  they  could  only  see  that  beautiful  spot ! 

When  she  handed  her  nickel  to  the  conductor,  she  felt 
almost  guilty,  and  it  seemed  as  if  he  could  see  her  intention 
in  her  eyes;  but  she  told  herself  that  she  was  not  sure  she  was 
going  to  get  off  at  all.  She  could  decide  as  she  came  near  the 
place.  She  would  have  to  get  off  either  before  she  got  there 
or  after  she  had  passed  and  walk  back.  The  conductor  would 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  19 

think  it  strange  if  a  young  girl  got  off  the  car  in  the  country 
in  front  of  an  empty  barn.  How  would  she  manage  it  ?  There 
had  been  houses  on  the  way,  not  far  from  the  barn.  What 
was  the  name  the  conductor  had  mentioned  of  the  man  who 
had  built  another  barn  ?  She  might  get  off  at  his  house,  but 
still — stay — what  was  that  avenue  where  they  had  said  the 
railroad  would  come  some  day  with  a  station?  They  had 
called  it  out  as  they  stopped  to  let  off  the  woman  and  the  little 
girl.  Allister  Avenue!  That  was  it.  She  would  ask  the 
conductor  to  let  her  off  at  Allister  Avenue. 

She  watched  the  way  intently;  and,  as  they  neared  the 
place  where  Allister  Avenue  ought  to  be,  her  heart  pounded 
so  that  she  felt  quite  conscious,  as  if  she  were  going  to  steal  a 
barn  and  carry  it  home  in  her  coat-pocket. 

She  managed  to  signal  the  car  to  stop  quite  quietly,  how- 
ever, and  stepped  down  to  the  pavement  as  if  it  were  her 
regular  stopping-place.  She  was  aware  of  the  curious  gaze 
of  both  motorman  and  conductor,  but  she  held  her  head  up, 
and  walked  a  few  steps  up  Allister  Avenue  until  the  car  had 
whirred  on  out  of  sight.  Then  she  turned  anxiously,  looking 
down  the  road,  and  there  to  her  joy  saw  the  stone  gable  of  the 
great  barn  high  on  its  knoll  in  the  distance. 


CHAPTEE  II 

SHIRLEY  walked  down  the  dusty  road  by  the  side  of  the 
car-track,  elation  and  excitement  in  her  breast.  What  an 
adventure !  To  be  walking  alone  in  this  strange,  beautiful 
spring  country,  and  nobody  to  interfere !  It  was  her  Father's 
beautiful  out-of-doors,  and  she  had  paid  her  extra  nickel  to 
have  a  right  to  it  for  a  little  while.  Perhaps  her  mother 
would  have  been  worried  at  her  being  alone  in  the  country, 
but  Shirley  had  no  fears.  Young  people  seldom  have  fears. 
She  walked  down  the  road  with  a  free  step  and  a  bright  light 
in  her  eyes.  She  had  to  see  that  barn  somehow ;  she  just  had  to  ! 

She  was  almost  breathless  when  she  reached  the  bottom 
of  the  hill  at  last,  and  stood  in  front  of  the  great  barn.  The 
up  car  passed  her  just  as  she  got  there,  and  the  people  looked 
out  at  her  apathetically  as  they  would  at  any  country  girl. 
She  stood  still  a  minute,  and  watched  the  car  up  the  hill  and 
out  of  sight,  then  picked  her  way  across  the  track,  and  entered 
the  field  where  the  fence  was  broken  down,  walking  up  the 
long  grassy  slope  to  the  front  of  the  barn  and  standing  still  at 
the  top  in  front  of  the  big  double  doors,  so  grim  and 
forbidding. 

The  barn  was  bigger  than  it  looked  in  the  distance.  She 
felt  very  small;  yet  her  soul  rejoiced  in  its  bigness.  Oh,  to 
have  plenty  of  room  for  once ! 

She  put  her  nose  close  to  the  big  doors,  and  tried  to  find 

a  crack  to  look  through;  but  the  doors  were  tight  and  fitted 

well.     There  was  no  use  trying  to  see  in  from  there.     She 

turned  and  ran  down  the  long  grassy  slope,  trying  to  pretend 

20 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  21 

it  was  a  palatial  stairway,  then  around  the  side  to  the  back 
of  the  barn,  and  there  at  last  she  found  a  door  part  way  ajar, 
opening  into  what  must  have  been  the  cow-stables,  and  she 
slipped  joyously  in.  Some  good  angel  must  have  been  pro- 
tecting her  in  her  ignorance  and  innocence,  for  that  dark 
basement  of  the  barn  would  have  been  an  excellent  hidicg- 
place  for  a  whole  regiment  of  tramps;  but  she  trod  safely  on 
her  way,  and  found  nothing  but  a  field-mouse  to  dispute  her 
entrance;  and  it  scurried  hastily  under  the  foundation,  and 
disappeared. 

The  cow-stables  evidently  had  not  been  occupied  for  a 
number  of  years,  for  the  place  was  clean  and  littered  with  dry 
straw,  as  if  it  had  fallen  and  sifted  from  the  floor  above.  The 
stalls  were  all  empty  now.  and  old  farm  implements,  several 
ploughs,  and  a  rickety  wagon  occupied  the  dusty,  cobwebby 
spaces  beyond  the  stalls.  There  were  several  openings,  rude 
doorways  and  crude  windows;  and  the  place  was  not  un- 
pleasant, for  the  back  of  it  opened  directly  upon  a  sloping 
hill  which  dropped  away  to  the  running  brook  below,  and  a 
little  stone  spring-house,  its  mossy  roof  half  hidden  by  a 
tangle  of  willows.  Shirley  stood  in  a  doorway  and  gazed  with 
delight,  then  turned  back  to  her  investigation.  This  lower 
place  would  not  do  for  human  habitation,  of  course;  it  was 
too  low  and  damp,  and  the  floor  was  only  mud.  She  must 
penetrate  if  possible  to  the  floor  above. 

Presently  she  found  a  rough  ladder,  cleats  nailed  to  up- 
rights against  the  wall;  and  up  this  she  crept  cautiously  to 
the  opening  above,  and  presently  emerged  into  the  wide  floor 
of  the  real  barn. 

There  were  several  small  windows,  left  open,  and  the  sweet 
spring  air  swept  gently  in;  and  there  were  little  patches  of 


22  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

pale  sunshine  in  the  misty  recesses  of  the  great  dim  room. 
Gentle  motes  floated  in  the  sharp  lances  of  sunshine  that 
stole  through  the  cracks ;  another  ladder  rose  in  the  midst  of 
the  great  floor  to  the  loft  above;  and  festoons  of  ancient  hay 
and  cobwebs  hung  dustily  down  from  the  opening  above. 
After  Shirley  had  skipped  about  the  big  floor  and  investigated 
every  corner  of  it,  imagining  how  grand  it  would  be  to  set 
the  table  in  one  end  of  the  room  and  put  mother's  bed  behind 
a  screen  in  the  other  end,  with  the  old  piano  somewhere  in 
the  centre  and  the  big  parlor  chair^  mended,  near  by,  the  old 
couch  covered  with  a  portiere  standing  on  the  other  side,  she 
turned  her  attention  to  the  loft,  and,  gathering  courage, 
climbed  up  there. 

There  were  two  great  openings  that  let  in  the  light;  but 
they  seemed  like  tiny  mouse-holes  in  the  great  place,  and  the 
hay  lay  sweet  and  dim,  thinly  scattered  over  the  whole  big 
floor.  In  one  corner  there  was  quite  a  luxurious  lot  of  it,  and 
Shirley  cast  herself  down  upon  it  for  a  blessed  minute,  and 
looked  up  to  the  dark  rafters,  lit  with  beams  of  sunlight 
creeping  through  fantastic  cracks  here  and  there,  and  won- 
dered how  the  boys  would  enjoy  sleeping  up  here,  though  there 
was  plenty  of  room  down-stairs  for  a  dozen  sleeping-rooms  for 
the  matter  of  that. 

Foolish,  of  course,  and  utterly  impossible,  as  all  day- 
dreams always  had  been;  but  somehow  it  seemed  so  real  and 
beautiful  that  she  could  scarcely  bring  herself  to  abandon  it. 
Nevertheless,  her  investigation  had  made  her  hungry,  and 
she  decided  at  last  to  go  down  and  eat  her  lunch  under  the 
big  tree  out  in  the  sunshine;  for  it  was  dark  and  stuffy  inside, 
although  one  could  realize  how  beautiful  it  would  be  with 
those  two  great  doors  flung  wide,  and  light  and  air  let  in. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  23 

The  day  was  perfect,  and  Shirley  found  a  beautiful  place 
to  sit,  high  and  sheltered,  where  she  would  not  be  noticed 
when  the  trolley-cars  sped  by ;  and,  as  she  ate  her  sandwiches, 
she  let  her  imagination  build  a  beautiful  piazza  where  the 
grassy  rise  came  up  to  the  front  of  the  barn,  and  saw  in 
thought  her  mother  sitting  with  the  children  at  the  door. 
How  grand  it  would  be  to  live  in  a  home  like  this,  even  if  it 
were  a  barn !  If  they  could  just  get  out  here  for  the  summer, 
it  would  do  wonders  for  them  all,  and  put  new  heart  into  her 
mother  for  the  hard  work  of  the  winter.  Perhaps  by  fall 
mother  would  be  well  enough  to  keep  boarders  as  she  longed 
to  do,  and  so  help  out  with  the  finances  more. 

Well,  of  course,  this  was  just  one  of  her  wild  schemes,  and 
she  must  not  think  any  more  about  it,  much  less  even  speak  of 
it  at  home,  for  they  would  never  get  done  laughing  and  teasing 
her  for  it. 

She  finished  the  last  crumb  of  the  piece  of  one-egg  cake 
that  Carol  had  made  the  day  before  for  her  lunch,  and  ran 
down  to  the  spring  to  see  whether  she  could  get  a  drink,  for 
she  was  very  thirsty. 

There  proved  to  be  an  old  tin  can  on  the  stones  in  the 
spring-house,  doubtless  used  by  the  last  tramp  or  conductor 
who  came  that  way;  but  Shirley  scrubbed  it  carefully  in  the 
sand,  drank  a  delicious  draught,  and  washed  her  hands  and 
face  in  the  clear  cold  water.  Then  she  went  back  to  the  barn 
again,  for  a  new  thought  had  entered  her  mind.  Supposing 
it  were  possible  to  rent  that  place  for  the  summer  at  any 
reasonable  price,  how  could  they  cook  and  how  keep  warm? 
Of  course  there  were  such  things  as  candles  and  oil-lamps 
for  lighting,  but  cooking!  Would  they  have  to  build  a  fire 
out-of-doors  and  play  at  camping?  Or  would  they  have  to 


84  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

resort  to  oil-stoves  ?  Oil-stoves  with  their  sticky,  oily  outsides, 
and  their  mysterious  moods  of  smoke  and  sulkiness,  out  of 
which  only  an  expert  could  coax  them! 

But,  though  she  stood  on  all  sides  of  that  barn,  and  gazed 
up  at  the  roof,  and  though  she  searched  each  floor  diligently, 
she  could  find  no  sign  of  a  chimney  anywhere.  Her  former 
acquaintance  with  barns  had  not  put  her  into  a  position  to 
judge  whether  this  was  a  customary  lack  of  barns  or  not. 
There  were  two  wooden,  chimney-like  structures  decorating 
the  roof,  but  it  was  all  too  evident  that  they  were  solely  for 
purposes  of  ornament.  Her  heart  sank.  What  a  grand  fire- 
place there  might  have  been  right  in  the  middle  of  the  great 
wall  opposite  the  door !  Could  anything  be  more  ideal  ?  She 
could  fancy  mother  sitting  in  front  of  it,  with  Harley  and 
Doris  on  the  floor  playing  with  a  kitten.  But  there  was  no 
fireplace.  She  wondered  vaguely  whether  a  stovepipe  could 
be  put  out  of  the  window,  and  so  make  possible  a  fire  in  a 
small  cook-stove.  She  was  sure  she  had  seen  stovepipes  coming 
out  of  all  sorts  of  odd  places  in  the  cities.  But  would  the 
owners  allow  it?  And  would  any  fire  at  all  perhaps  make  it 
dangerous  and  affect  the  fire-insurance?  Oh,  there  were  so 
many  things  to  think  about,  and  it  was  all  so  impossible,  of 
course. 

She  turned  with  heavy  heart,  and  let  herself  down  the 
ladder.  It  was  time  she  went  home,  for  the  afternoon  was 
well  on  its  way.  She  could  hear  the  whir  of  the  trolley-car 
going  up.  She  must  be  out  and  down  the  road  a  little  way  to 
get  the  next  one  that  passed  it  at  the  switch  when  it  came 
back. 

So  with  a  wistful  glance  about  the  big  dusty  floor  she 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  «5 

turned  away,  and  went  down  to  the  ground  floor  and  out  into 
the  afternoon  sunshine. 

Just  as  she  crossed  the  knoll  and  was  stepping  over  the 
broken  fence,  she  saw  a  clump  of  clover,  and  among  the  tiny 
stems  one  bearing  four  leaves.  She  was  not  superstitious, 
nor  did  the  clover  mean  any  special  omen  to  her;  but  she 
stooped,  smiling,  and  plucked  it,  tucking  it  into  the  button- 
hole of  her  coat,  and  hurried  down  the  road;  for  she  could 
already  hear  the  returning  trolley-car,  and  she  wished  to  be  a 
little  farther  from  the  barn  before  it  overtook  her.  Some- 
how she  shrank  from  having  people  in  the  car  know  where  she 
had  been,  for  it  seemed  like  exposing  her  audacious  wish  to 
the  world. 

Seated  in  the  car,  she  turned  her  eyes  back  to  the  last 
glimpse  of  the  stone  gables  and  the  sweeping  branches  of  the 
budding  tree  as  the  car  sped  down  the  hill  and  curved  away 
behind  another  slope. 

After  all,  it  was  but  half -past  four  when  the  car  reached 
the  city  hall.  Its  route  lay  on  half  a  mile  nearer  to  the  little 
brick  house,  and  she  could  stay  in  it,  and  have  a  shorter  walk 
if  she  chose.  It  was  not  in  the  least  likely  anybody  would  be 
in  any  office  at  this  hour  of  the  day,  anyway ;  that  is,  anybody 
with  authority;  but  somehow  Shirley  had  to  signal  that  car 
and  get  out,  long  walk  or  not.  A  strong  desire  seized  her  to 
put  her  fate  to  the  test,  and  either  crush  out  this  dream  of 
)hers  forever,  or  find  out  at  once  whether  it  had  a  foundation 
to  live. 

She  walked  straight  to  the  Ward  Trust  Building  and 
searched  the  bulletin-board  in  th«  hallway  carefully.  Yes, 
there  it  was,  "  Graham-Walter — Fourth  floor  front." 

With  rapidly  beating  heart  she  entered  the  elevator  and 


26  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

tried  to  steady  her  voice  as  she  said,  "  Fourth  " ;  but  it  shook 
in  spite  of  her.  What  was  she  doing  ?  How  dared  she  ?  What 
should  she  say  when  they  asked  her  what  she  wanted? 

But  Shirley's  firm  little  lips  were  set,  and  her  head  had 
that  tilt  that  her  mother  knew  meant  business.  She  had  gone 
so  far  she  would  see  the  matter  to  the  finish,  even  if  it  was 
ridiculous.  For  now  that  she  was  actually  on  the  elevator 
and  almost  to  the  fourth  floor  it  seemed  the  most  extraordinary 
thing  in  the  world  for  a  girl  to  enter  a  great  business  office 
and  demand  that  its  head  should  stoop  to  rent  her  an  old 
barn  out  in  the  country  for  the  infinitesimal  sum  she  could 
offer.  He  would  perhaps  think  her  crazy,  and  have  her  put  out. 

But  she  got  out  of  the  elevator  calmly,  and  .  alked  down 
the  hall  to  where  a  ground-glass  door  proclaimed  in  gold 
letters  the  name  she  was  hunting.  Timidly  she  turned  the 
knob,  and  entered  a  large  room,  spacious  and  high  ceiled, 
with  Turkish  rugs  on  the  inlaid  floor,  leather  chairs,  and 
mahogany  desks. 

There  was  no  one  in  the  office  but  a  small  office-boy,  who 
lolled  idly  on  one  elbow  on  the  table,  reading  the  funny  page 
of  the  afternoon  paper.  She  paused,  half  frightened,  and 
looked  about  her  appealingly ;  and  now  she  began  to  be  afraid 
she  was  too  late.  It  had  taken  longer  than  she  had  thought 
it  would  to  get  here.  It  was  almost  a  quarter  to  five  by  the 
big  clock  on  the  wall.  No  head  of  a  business  firm  was  likely 
to  stay  in  his  office  so  late  in  the  day  as  that,  she  knew.  Yet 
she  could  hear  the  steady  click  of  typewriter  keys  in  an  inner 
office;  he  might  have  remained  to  dictate  a  letter. 

The  office-boy  looked  up  insolently. 

"  Is  Mr.  Graham  in  ?  "  asked  Shirley. 

« Which  Mr.  Graham?" 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  27 

/*  hesitating  and  catching  the  name  on  the  door, 
"Mr.  Walter  Graham." 

"  No,  he  isn't  here.  Never  here  after  four  o'clock."  The 
boy  dropped  on  his  elbow  again,  and  resumed  his  reading. 

"  Oh !  "  said  Shirley,  dismayed  now,  in  spite  of  her  fright, 
as  she  saw  all  hope  fading  from  her.  "  Well,  is  there  another-*- 
I  mean  is  the  other — Mr.  Graham  in?" 

Someone  stirred  in  the  inner  office,  and  came  across  to  the 
door,  looking  out,  someone  with  an  overcoat  and  hat  on.  He 
looked  at  the  girl,  and  then  spoke  sharply  to  the  boy,  who 
stood  up  straight  as  if  he  had  been  shot. 

"  Edward  !    See  what  the  lady  wants/' 

"  Yes,  sir ! "  said  Edward  with  sudden  respect. 

Shirley  caught  her  breath,  and  plunged  in. 

"  I  would  like  to  see  some  Mr.  Graham  if  possible  for  just 
a  moment."  There  was  something  self-possessed  and  busi- 
nesslike in  her  voice  now  that  commanded  the  boy's  attention. 
Her  brief  business  training  was  upon  her. 

The  figure  from  the  inner  room  emerged,  and  took  off  his 
hat.  He  was  a  young  man  and  strikingly  handsome,  with 
heavy  dark  hair  that  waved  over  his  forehead  and  fine,  strong 
features.  His  eyes  were  both  keen  and  kind.  There  was 
eomething  luminous  in  them  that  made  Shirley  think  of 
Doris's  eyes  when  she  asked  a  question.  Doris  had  wonder- 
,  fully  wise  eyes. 

"I  am  Mr.  Sidney  Graham,"  said  the  young  man,  ad- 
vancing. "What  can  I  do  for  you?" 

"  Oh,  I  wanted  to  ask  you  about  a  barn,"  began  Shirley 
eagerly,  then  stopped  abashed.  How  could  she  ask  this  im- 
maculate son  of  luxury  if  he  would  rent  a  young  girl  his  barn 
to  live  in  during  the  summer  ?  She  could  feel  the  color  mount- 


28  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

ing  in  her  cheeks,  and  would  have  turned  and  fled  gladly  if 
a  way  had  been  open.  She  was  aware  not  only  of  the  kind 
eyes  of  the  man  upon  her,  but  also  of  the  gaping  boy  taking  it 
all  in,  and  her  tongue  was  suddenly  tied.  She  could  say  no 
more. 

But  the  young  man  saw  how  it  was,  and  he  bowed  as 
gracefully  as  if  asking  about  barns  was  a  common  habit  of 
young  women  coming  into  his  office. 

"  Oh,  certainly/'  he  said ;  "  won't  you  just  step  in  here  a 
moment  and  sit  down?  We  can  talk  better.  Edward,  you 
may  go.  I  shall  not  need  you  any  longer  this  evening." 

"  But  I  am  detaining  you ;  you  were  just  going  out ! n 
cried  Shirley  in  a  panic.  "I  will  go  away  now  and  come 
again — perhaps."  She  would  do  anything  to  get  away  with- 
out telling  her  preposterous  errand. 

"  Not  at  all !  "  said  young  Mr.  Graham.  ef  I  am  in  no 
hurry  whatever.  Just  step  this  way,  and  sit  down."  His  tone 
was  kindness  itself.  Somehow  Shirley  had  to  follow  him. 
Her  face  was  crimson  now,  and  she  felt  ready  to  cry.  What  a 
fool  she  had  been  to  get  herself  into  a  predicament  like  this ! 
What  would  her  mother  say  to  her  ?  How  could  she  tell  this 
strange  young  man  what  she  had  come  for?  But  he  was 
seated  and  looking  at  her  with  his  nice  eyes,  taking  in  all  the 
little  pitiful  attempts  at  neatness  and  style  and  beauty  in  her 
shabby  little  toilet.  She  was  awfully  conscious  of  a  loose  fluff 
of  gold-glinted  hair  that  had  come  down  over  one  hot  cheek 
and  ear.  How  dishevelled  she  must  look,  and  how  dusty  after 
climbing  over  that  dirty  barn !  And  then  she  plunged  into 
her  subject. 


CHAPTER  111 

"  I'M  sure  I  don't  know  what  you  will  think  of  my  ask* 
ing/'  said  Shirley  excitedly,  "  but  I  want  very  much  to  know 
whether  there  is  any  possibility  that  you  would  rent  a  beau- 
tiful big  stone  barn  you  own  out  on  the  old  Glenside  Road, 
near  Allister  Avenue.  You  do  own  it,  don't  you  ?  I  was  told 
you  did,  or  at  least  that  Mr.  Walter  Graham  did.  They  said  it 
belonged  to  '  the  estate.'  " 

"  Well,  now  you've  got  one  on  me/'  said  the  young  man 
with  a  most  engaging  smile.  "  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  whether 
I  own  it  or  not.  I'm  sorry.  But  if  it  belongs  to  grandfather's 
estate, — his  name  was  Walter,  too,  you  knoi". — why,  I  sup- 
pose I  do  own  part  of  it.  I'm  sorry  father  isn't  here.  He 
of  course  knows  all  about  it — or  the  attorney — of  course  he 
would  know.  But  I  think  he  has  left  the  office.  However, 
that  doesn't  matter.  What  was  it  you  wanted?  To  rent  it, 
you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Shirley,  feeling  very  small  and  very  much  an 
impostor;  "that  is,  if  I  could  afford  it.  I  suppose  perhaps 
it  will  be  way  ahead  of  my  means,  but  I  thought  it  wouldn't 
do  any  harm  to  ask."  Her  shy  eyes  were  almost  filled  with 
tears,  and  the  young  man  was  deeply  distressed. 

"  Not  at  all,  not  at  all,"  he  hastened  to  say.  "  I'm  just 
stupid  that  I  don't  know  about  it.  Where  did  you  say  it  was  ? 
Out  on  the  Glenside  Road  ?  A  barn  ?  Come  to  think  of  it,  I 
remember  one  of  my  uncles  lived  out  that  way  once,  and  I  know 
there  is  a  lot  of  land  somewhere  out  there  belonging  to  the 
estate.  You  say  there  is  a  barn  on  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  a  beautiful  barn,"  said  Shirley  anxiously,  her  eyes 

20 


30  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

dreamy  and  her  cheeks  like  two  glowing  roses.  "  It  is  stone, 
and  has  a  wide  grassy  road  like  a  great  staircase  leading  up 
to  it,  and  a  tall  tree  over  it.  There  is  a  brook  just  below, — it 
is  high  up  from  the  road  on  a  little  grassy  hill." 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes/'  he  said,  nodding  eagerly,  "  I  see !  It  almost 
seems  as  if  I  remember.  And  you  wanted  to  rent  it  for  the 
summer,  you  say?  You  are — ah — in  the  agricultural  busi- 
ness, I  suppose?"  He  looked  at  her  respectfully.  He  knew 
the  new  woman,  and  honored  her.  He  did  not  seem  at  all 
startled  that  she  wanted  to  rent  a  barn  for  the  summer. 

But  Shirley  did  not  in  the  least  understand.  She  looked 
at  him  bewildered  a  moment. 

"  Oh,  no !  I  am  only  a  stenographer  myself — but  my 
mother — that  is "  she  paused  in  confusion. 

"  Oh,  I  see,  your  mother  is  the  farmer,  I  suppose.  Your 
home  is  near  by — near  to  the  barn  you  want  to  rent?" 

Then  she  understood. 

"  No,  oh,  no !  she  said  desperately.  "  We  don't  want  to 
use  the  barn  for  a  barn  at  all.  I  want  to  use  it  for  a  house !  " 

It  was  out  at  last,  the  horrible  truth ;  and  she  sat  trembling 
to  see  his  look  of  amazement. 

"  Use  it  for  a  house !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Why,  how  could 
you?  To  live  in,  do  you  mean?  or  just  to  take  a  tent  and 
camp  out  there  for  a  few  days  ?  " 

"  To  live  in,"  said  Shirley  doggedly,  lifting  her  eyes  in  one 
swift  defiant  look  and  then  dropping  them  to  her  shabby 
gloves  and  thin  pocketbook,  empty  now  even  of  the  last  precious 
nickel.  If  he  said  anything  more,  she  was  sure  she  should 
cry.  If  he  patronized  her  the  least  little  bit,  or  grew  haughty, 
now  that  he  saw  how  low  she  was  reduced,  she  would  turn  and 
fly  from  the  office  and  never  look  him  in  the  face. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  31 

But  he  did  neither.  Instead,  he  just  talked  in  a  natural 
tone,  as  if  it  were  the  most  common  thing  in  the  world  for  a 
girl  to  want  to  live  in  a  barn,  and  nothing  to  be  surprised 
over  in  the  least. 

"  Oh,  I  see/'  he  said  pleasantly.  "  Well,  now,  that  might 
be  arranged,  you  know.  Of  course  I  don't  know  much  about 
things,  but  I  could  find  out.  You  see,  I  don't  suppose  we 
often  have  calls  to  rent  the  property  that  way " 

"  No,  of  course  not,"  said  Shirley,  gathering  up  her  scat- 
tered confidence.  "  I  know  it's  queer  for  me  to  ask,  but  we 
have  to  move — they  are  going  to  build  an  apartment-house 
where  we  are  renting  now,  and  mother  is  sick.  I  should  like 
to  get  her  out  into  the  country,  our  house  is  so  little  and  dark ; 
and  I  thought,  if  she  could  be  all  summer  where  she  could  see 
the  sky  and  hear  the  birds,  she  might  get  well.  I  want  to  get 
my  little  sisters  and  brothers  out  of  the  city,  too.  But  we 
couldn't  likely  pay  enough  rent.  I  suppose  it  was  silly  of  me 
to  ask." 

"  Not  at  all !  "  said  the  young  man  courteously,  as  though 
she  had  been  a  queen  whom  he  delighted  tc  nonor.  "  I  don't 
see  why  we  shouldn't  be  able  to  get  together  on  some  kind  of  a 
proposition — that  is,  unless  father  has  other  plans  that  I  don't 
know  about.  A  barn  ought  not  to  be  worth  such  a  big  price. 
How  much  would  you  feel  like  paying  ?  " 

He  was  studying  the  girl  before  him  with  interested  eyes; 
noting  the  well-set  head  on  the  pretty  shoulders,  even  in  spite 
of  the  ill-fitting  shabby  blue  coat;  the  delicate  features;  the 
glint  of  gold  in  the  soft  brown  hair;  the  tilt  of  the  firm  little 
chin,  and  the  wistfulness  in  the  big  blue  eyes.  This  was  a 
new  kind  of  girl,  and  he  was  disposed  to  give  her  what  she 
wanted  if  he  could.  And  he  could.  He  knew  well  that  any- 
thing he  willed  mightily  would  not  be  denied  him. 


82  THE  ENCHANTED  BAKiN 

The  frightened  color  came  into  the  delicate  cheeks  again, 
and  the  blue  eyes  fluttered  down  ashamedly. 

"  We  are  only  paying  fifteen  a  month  now,"  she  said ;  "  and 
I  couldn't  pay  any  more,  for  we  haven't  got  it.  I  couldn't 
pay  as  much,  for  it  would  cost  sixty  cents  a  week  apiece  for 
George  and  me  to  come  in  to  our  work  from  there.  I  couldn't 
pay  more  than  twelve !  and  I  know  that's  ridiculous  for  such 
a  great  big,  beautiful  place,  but — I  had  to  ask." 

She  lifted  her  eyes  swiftly  in  apology,  and  dropped  them 
again;  the  young  man  felt  a  glow  of  sympathy  for  her,  and  a 
deep  desire  to  help  her  have  her  wish. 

"  Why,  certainly,"  he  said  heartily.  "  Of  course  you  did. 
And  it's  not  ridiculous  at  all  for  you  to  make  a  business 
proposition  of  any  kind.  You  say  what  you  can  do,  and  we 
accept  it  or  not  as  we  like.  That's  our  lookout.  Now  of 
course  I  can't  answer  about  this  until  I've  consulted  father; 
and,  not  knowing  the  place  well,  I  haven't  the  least  idea  what 
it's  worth;  it  may  not  be  worth  even  twelve  dollars."  (He 
made  a  mental  reservation  that  it  should  not  be  if  he  could 
help  it.)  "  Suppose  I  consult  with  father  and  let  you  know. 
Could  I  write  or  phone  you,  or  will  you  be  around  this  way 
any  time  to-morrow  ?  " 

Shirley's  breath  was  fairly  gone  with  the  realization  that 
he  was  actually  considering  her  proposition  in  earnest.  He 
had  not  laughed  at  her  for  wanting  to  live  in  a  barn,  and  he 
had  not  turned  down  the  price  she  offered  as  impossible !  He 
was  looking  at  her  in  a  kindly  way  as  if  he  liked  her  for 
being  frank. 

"  Why,  yes,"  she  said,  looking  up  shyly,  "  I  can  come  in 
to-morrow  at  my  noon  hour — if  that  would  not  be  too  soon. 
I  always  have  a  little  time  to  myself  then,  and  it  isn't  far 
from  the  office." 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  3£ 

"That  will  be  perfectly  all  right  for  me,"  smiled  young 
Graham.  "  I  shall  be  here  till  half -past  one,  and  you  can  ask 
the  boy  to  show  you  to  my  office.  I  will  consult  with  father 
the  first  thing  in  the  morning  and  be  ready  to  give  you  an 
answer.  But  I  am  wondering  if  you  have  seen  this  barn,  I 
suppose  you  have,  or  you  would  not  want  to  rent  it;  but  I 
should  suppose  a  barn  would  be  an  awfully  unpleasant  place 
to  live,  kind  of  almost  impossible.  Are  you  sure  you  realize 
what  the  proposition  would  be  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  think  so,"  said  Shirley,  looking  troubled  and 
earnest.  "It  is  a  beautiful  big  place,  and  the  outlook  is 
wonderful.  I  was  there  to-day,  and  found  a  door  open  at  the 
back,  and  went  in  to  look  around.  The  up-stairs  middle  floor 
is  so  big  we  could  make  several  rooms  out  of  it  with  screens 
and  curtains.  It  would  be  lovely.  We  could  live  in  picnic 
style.  Yes,  I'm  sure  mother  would  like  it.  I  haven't  told  her 
about  it  yet,  because  if  I  couldn't  afford  it  I  didn't  want  to 
disappoint  her;  so  I  thought  I  would  wait  till  I  found  out; 
but  I'm  just  about  certain  she  would  be  delighted.  And  any- 
how we've  got  to  go  somewhere." 

"I  see,"  said  this  courteous  young  man,  trying  not  to 
show  his  amazement  and  delight  in  the  girl  who  so  coolly 
discussed  living  in  a  barn  with  curtains  and  screens  for  par* 
titions.  He  thought  of  his  own  luxurious  home  and  his  com- 
fortable life,  where  every  need  had  been  supplied  even  before 
he  realized  it,  and,  wondering  again,  was  refreshed  in  soul  by 
this  glimpse  into  the  brave  heart  of  the  girl. 

"  Then  I  will  expect  you,"  he  said  pleasantly,  and,  opening 
the  door,  escorted  her  to  the  elevator,  touching  his  hat  to 
her  as  he  left  her. 

Shirley  would  not  have  been  a  normal  girl  if  she  had  no* 


34  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

felt  the  least  flutter  in  her  heart  at  the  attention  he  showed 
her  and  the  pleasant  tones  of  his  voice.  It  was  for  all  the 
world  as  if  she  had  been  a  lady  dressed  in  broadcloth  and  fur. 
She  looked  down  at  her  shabby  little  serge  suit — that  had 
done  duty  all  winter  with  an  old  gray  sweater  under  it — half 
in  shame  and  half  in  pride  in  the  man  who  had  not  let  it 
hinder  him  from  giving  her  honor.  He  was  a  man.  He  must 
be.  She  had  bared  her  poverty-stricken  life  to  his  gaze,  and 
he  had  not  taken  advantage  of  it.  He  had  averted  his  eyes, 
and  acted  as  if  it  were  just  like  other  lives  and  others*  neces- 
sities ;  and  he  had  made  her  feel  that  she  was  just  as  good  as 
any  one  with  whom  he  had  to  deal. 

Well,  it  was  probably  only  a  manner,  a  kind  of  refined, 
courteous  habit  he  had ;  but  it  was  lovely,  and  she  was  going 
to  enjoy  the  bit  of  it  that  had  fallen  at  her  feet. 

On  the  whole,  Shirley  walked  the  ten  blocks  to  her  nar- 
row little  home  feeling  that  she  had  had  a  good  day.  She  was 
weary,  but  it  was  a  healthy  weariness.  The  problem  which  had 
been  pressing  on  her  brain  for  days,  and  nights  too,  did  not 
seem  so  impossible  now,  and  hope  was  in  her  heart  that  some- 
how she  would  find  a  way  out.  It  had  been  good  to  get 
away  from  the  office  and  the  busy  monotony  and  go  out  into 
the  wide,  open  out-of-doors.  It  was  good  also  to  meet  a  real 
nobleman,  even  if  it  were  only  in  passing,  and  on  business. 

She  decided  not  to  tell  her  mother  and  the  children  of 
her  outing  yet,  not  until  she  was  sure  there  were  to  be 
results.  Besides,  it  might  only  worry  her  mother  the  more 
and  give  her  a  sleepless  night  if  she  let  out  the  secret  about 
the  barn. 

One  more  little  touch  of  pleasantness  there  came  to  make 
this  day  stand  out  from  others  as  beautiful.  It  was  when  she 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  35 

turned  into  Chapel  Street,  and  was  swinging  along  rapidly 
in  order  to  get  home  at  her  usual  time  and  not  alarm  he* 
mother,  that  a  car  rolled  quickly  past  to  the  middle  of  the 
block,  and  stopped  just  under  a  street-light.  In  a  moment 
more  a  lady  came  out  of  the  door  of  a  house,  entered  the  ear, 
and  was  driven  away.  As  she  closed  the  car-door,  Shirley 
fancied  she  saw  something  drop  from  the  lady's  hand.  When 
Shirley  reached  the  place  she  found  it  waa  two  great,  luscious 
pink  rosebuds  that  must  have  slipped  from  the  lady's  corsage 
and  fallen  on  the  pavement.  Shirley  picked  them  up  almost 
reverently,  inhaling  their  exotic  breath,  and  taking  in  theil 
delicate  curves  and  texture.  Then  she  looked  after  the 
limousine.  It  was  three  blocks  away  and  just  turning  into- 
another  street.  It  would  be  impossible  for  her  to  overtake 
it,  and  there  was  little  likelihood  of  the  lady's  returning  for 
two  roses.  Probably  she  would  never  miss  them.  Shirley 
turned  toward  the  house,  thinking  she  ought  to  take  them  in, 
but  discovered  that  it  bore  the  name  of  a  fashionable  modiste, 
who  would,  of  course,  not  have  any  right  to  the  roses,  and 
Shirley's  conscience  decided  they  were  meant  by  Providence 
for  her.  So,  happily,  she  hurried  on  to  the  little  brick 
house,  bearing  the  wonderful  flowers  to  her  mother. 

She  hurried  so  fast  that  she  reached  home  ten  minutes 
earlier  than  usual,  and  they  all  gathered  around  her  eagerly 
as  if  it  were  some  great  event,  the  mother  calling  half  fear- 
fully from  her  bedroom  up-stairs  to  know  whether  anything 
had  happened.  She  was  always  expecting  some  new  calamity 
like  sickness,  or  the  loss  of  their  positions  by  one  or  the  other 
of  her  children. 

"  Nothing  at  all  the  matter,  mother  dear !  "  called  Shirley 
happily  as  she  hung  up  her  coat  and  hat,  and  hugged  Doris. 


SO  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  I  got  off  earlier  than  usual  because  Mr.  Barnard  had  to  go 
away.  Just  see  what  a  beautiful  thing  I  have  brought  you — 
found  it  on  the  street,  dropped  by  a  beautiful  lady.  You 
needn't  be  afraid  of  them,  for  she  and  her  limousine  looked 
perfectly  hygienic ;  and  it  wasn't  stealing,  because  I  couldn't 
possibly  have  caught  her.  Aren't  they  lovely  ?  " 

By  this  time  she  was  up  in  her  mother's  room,  with  Doris 
and  Carol  following  close  behind  exclaiming  in  delight  over 
the  roses. 

She  kissed  her  mother,  and  put  the  flowers  into  a  glass 
beside  the  bed. 

"  You're  looking  better  to-night,  I  believe,  dear,"  said  the 
mother.  "  I've  been  worried  about  you  all  day.  You  were  so 
white  and  tired  this  morning." 

"  Oh,  I'm  feeling  fine,  mother  dear ! "  said  Shirley  gayly, 
"  and  I'm  going  down  to  make  your  toast  and  poach  you  an 
egg  while  Carol  finishes  getting  supper.  Greorge  will  be  here 
in  ten  minutes  now,  and  Harley  ought  to  be  in  any  minute. 
He  always  comes  when  he  gets  hungry.  My!  I'm  hungry 
myself !  Let's  hurry,  Carol.  Doris,  darling,  you  fix  mother's 
little  table  all  ready  for  her  tray.  Put  on  the  white  cloth, 
take  away  the  books,  set  the  glass  with  the  roses  in  the  middle 
very  carefully.  You  won't  spill  it,  will  you,  darling  ?  " 

Doris,  all  smiles  at  the  responsibility  accorded  her,  prom- 
ised: "  No,  I  yun't  spill  it  I'll  move  it  tarefully." 

There  was  something  in  Shirley's  buoyant  air  that  night 
that  lifted  them  all  above  the  cares  that  had  oppressed  them 
for  weeks,  and  gave  them  new  hope.  She  flew  around,  getting 
the  supper  things  together,  making  her  mother's  tray  pretty, 
-and  taking  little  extra  pains  for  each  one  as  she  had  not  felt 
able  to  do  before.  Carol  caught  the  contagion,  and  mashed 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  S> 

the  potatoes  more  carefully,  so  that  there  wasn't  a  single  lump 
in  them. 

"  Goodness !  But  it's  been  hot  in  this  kitchen  all  day, 
Shirley/'  said  Carol.  "  I  had  the  back  door  open,  but  it  just 
seemed  stifling.  I  got  the  ironing  all  done  except  a  table- 
cloth, and  I  guess  I  can  finish  that  this  evening.  I  haven'fc 
got  much  studying  to  do  for  to-morrow.  Nellie  Waite  stopped^ 
and  left  me  my  books.  I  don't  believe  I'll  have  to  stay  at 
home  another  day  this  week.  Mother  says  she  can  get  along. 
I  can  leave  her  lunch  all  ready,  and  Doris  can  manage." 

Shirley's  conscience  gave  a  sudden  twinge.  Here  had  she 
been  sitting  under  a  lovely  tree  by  a  brook,  eating  her  lunch 
and  dreaming  foolish  day-dreams  about  living  in  a  barn, 
while  Carol  stayed  at  home  from  school  and  toiled  in  the 
kitchen!  Perhaps  she  ought  to  have  come  home  and  sent 
Carol  back  to  school.  And  yet  perhaps  that  nice  young  Mr. 
Graham  would  be  able  to  do  something ;  she  would  not  condemn 
herself  until  the  morrow,  anyway.  She  had  tried  to  do  her  best. 
She  had  not  gone  off  there  selfishly  just  to  have  &  good  time  by 
herself  when  her  dear  ones  were  suffering.  It  had  been  for 
their  sake. 

Then  George  came  in  whistling,  and  Harley  banged  in 
gayly  a  minute  later,  calling  to  know  whether  supper  waa 
ready. 

"'Cause  I  gotta  date  with  the  fellas  this  evening,  and  I 
gotta  beat  it,"  he  declared  impatiently. 

The  shadow  of  anxiety  passed  over  Shirley's  face  again  at 
that,  but  she  quieted  her  heart  once  more  with  her  hopes  for 
to-morrow.  If  her  plan  succeeded,  Harley  would  be  away  from 
"  the  fellas,"  and  wouldn't  have  so  many  questionable  "  dates  * 
to  worry  them  all. 


38  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

George  was  in  a  hurry,  too. 

"  Gee,  Shirley,  I  gotta  be  at  the  store  all  evening,"  he  said, 
bolting  his  food  hurriedly.  "  I  wouldn't  'a'  come  home,  only 
I  knew  you'd  worry,  and  mother  gets  so  upset.  Gee,  Shirley, 
what  we  gonta  do  about  a  house  ?  It's  getting  almost  time  to 
move.  I  went  to  all  those  places  you  suggested  at  noon  to-day, 
but  there  wasn't  a  vacant  spot  anywhere.  There's  some  rooms 
on  Louden  Street,  but  there's  all  sorts  in  the  house.  Mother 
wouldn't  like  it.  It's  dirty  besides.  I  suppose  if  we  look 
long  enough  we  could  find  rooms ;  but  we'd  have  to  get  along 
with  only  two  or  three,  for  they  come  awful  high.  We'd  have 
to  have  three  anyway,  you  girls  and  mother  in  one,  us  boys  in 
the  other,  and  one  for  parlor  and  kitchen  together.  Gee ! 
Wouldn't  that  be  fierce  ?  I  oughtta  get  a  better  job.  We  can't 
live  that  way." 

"Don't  worry,  George;  I  think  we'll  find  something  bet- 
ter," said  Shirley  with  a  hopeful  ring  in  her  voice.  "  I've  been 
thinking  out  a  plan.  I  haven't  got  it  all  just  arranged  in 
my  mind  yet,  but  I'll  tell  you  about  it  pretty  soon.  You  don't 
have  school  to-morrow  night,  do  you?  No,  I  thought  not. 
Well,  maybe  we  can  talk  it  over  then.  You  and  I  will  have  to 
go  out  together  and  look  up  a  place  perhaps,"  and  she  smiled 
an  encouraging  smile,  and  sent  him  off  to  his  school  happily. 

She  extracted  a  promise  from  Harley  that  he  would  be  in 
by  nine  o'clock,  discovered  that  he  was  only  going  to  a 
"movie"  show  around  the  corner  with  one  of  the  fellows 
who  was  going  to  " stand  treat"  on  account  of  a  wonderful 
ball  game  they  had  won,  found  out  where  his  lessons  were  for 
the  morrow,  promised  to  help  him  when  he  returned,  and  sent 
him  away  with  a  feeling  of  comfort  and  responsibility  to 
return  early.  She  washed  the  dishes  and  ironed  the  table- 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  39 

cloth  so  Carol  could  go  to  her  lessons.  Then  she  went  up  and 
put  Doris  to  bed  with  a  story  about  a  little  bird  that  built  a 
nest  in  a  tall,  beautiful  tree  that  grew  beside  the  place  where 
the  little  girl  lived;  a  little  bird  that  drank  from  a  little 
running  brook,  and  took  a  bath  on  its  pebbly  shore,  and  ate 
the  crumbs  and  berries  the  little  girl  gave  it,  and  sat  all  day 
on  five  little  blue  eggs. 

Harley  came  in  at  five  minutes  after  nine,  and  did  his 
lessons  with  her  help.  George  came  home  just  as  they  finished* 
He  was  whistling,  though  he  looked  tired.  He  said  "  the 
prof."  had  been  "the  limit"  all  the  evening.  Shirley  fixed 
her  mother  comfortably  for  the  night,  and  went  at  last  to  her 
own  bed,  more  tired  than  she  had  been  for  weeks,  and  yet 
more  happy.  For  through  it  all  she  had  been  sustained  by  a 
hope;  inspired  by  a  cultured,  pleasant  voice,  and  eyes  that 
wanted  to  help,  and  seemed  to  understand. 

As  she  closed  her  eyes  to  sleep,  somehow  that  pleasant  voice 
and  those  kind  eyes  mingled  with  her  dreams,  and  seemed  to 
promise  relief  from  her  great  anxieties. 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  excitement  and  anticipation  that 
she  dressed  the  next  morning  and  hurried  away.  Something 
was  coming,  she  felt  sure,  some  help  for  their  trying  situation. 
She  had  felt  it  when  she  knelt  for  her  usual  prayer  that  morn- 
ing, and  it  throbbed  in  her  excited  heart  as  she  hurried  through 
the  streets  to  the  office.  It  almost  frightened  her  to  feel  so 
sure,  for  she  knew  how  terrible  would  be  the  disappointment 
if  she  got  her  hopes  too  high. 

There  was  plenty  to  be  done  at  the  office,  a  great  many 
letters  to  answer,  and  a  telegram  with  directions  from  Mr. 
Barnard.  But  she  worked  with  more  ease  than  for  some  time, 
and  w»-i  done  by  half-past  eleven.  When  she  took  the  letter* 


40  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

out  to  Mr.  Clegg  to  be  signed,  he  told  her  that  she  would  not 
be  needed  the  rest  of  the  day,  and  might  go  at  once  if  she  chose. 

She  ate  her  bit  of  lunch  hurriedly,  and  made  herself  as 
fresh  and  tidy  as  was  possible  in  the  office.  Then  she  took  her 
way  to  the  fourth  floor  of  the  Ward  Trust  Building.  With 
throbbing  heart  and  glowing  cheeks  she  entered  the  office  of 
Walter  Graham,  and  asked  for  Mr.  Sidney  Graham. 

The  office-boy  had  evidently  received  instructions,  for  he 
bowed  most  respectfully  this  time,  and  led  her  at  -once  to  the 
inner  office. 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  afternoon  before,  when  Mr.  Sidney  Graham  had  re- 
turned to  his  office  from  seeing  Shirley  to  the  elevator,  he 
stood  several  minutes  looking  thoughtfully  at  the  chair  where 
she  had  sat,  while  he  carefully  drew  on  his  gloves. 

There  had  been  something  interesting  and  appealing  in 
the  spirited  face  of  the  girl,  with  her  delicate  features  and 
wistful  eyes.  He  could  not  seem  to  get  away  from  it.  It  had 
left  an  impression  of  character  and  a  struggle  with  forces  of 
which  in  his  sheltered  life  he  had  had  only  a  vague  conception. 
It  had  left  him  with  the  feeling  that  she  was  stronger  in  some 
ways  than  himself,  and  he  did  not  exactly  like  the  sensation  of 
it.  He  had  always  aimed  to  be  a  strong  character  himself; 
and  for  a  young  man  who  had  inherited  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  dollars  on  coming  of  age,  and  double  that 
amount  two  years  later,  with  the  prospect  of  another  goodly 
sum  when  his  paternal  grandfathers  estate  was  divided,  he 
had  done  very  well  indeed.  He  had  stuck  to  business  ever 
since  leaving  college,  where  he  had  been  by  no  means  a  non- 
entity either  in  studies  or  in  athletics;  and  he  had  not  been 
spoiled  by  the  adulation  that  a  young  man  of  his  good  looks 
and  wealth  and  position  always  receives  in  society.  He  had 
taken  society  as  a  sort  of  duty,  but  had  never  given  it  an 
undue  proportion  of  his  tune  and  thoughts.  Notably  he  was 
a  young  man  of  fine  balance  and  strong  self-control,  not  given 
to  impulsive  or  erratic  likes  and  dislikes;  and  he  could  not 
understand  why  a  shabby  little  person  with  a  lock  of  gold  over 
one  crimson  cheek,  and  tired,  discouraged  lights  in  her 
had  made  so  strong  an  impression  upon  him. 

41 


42  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

It  had  been  his  intention  just  before  Shirley's  arrival  to 
leave  the  office  at  once  and  perhaps  drop  in  on  Miss  Harriet 
Hale.  If  the  hour  seemed  propitious,  he  would  take  her  for 
a  spin  in  his  new  racing-car  that  even  now  waited  in  the  street 
below;  but  somehow  suddenly  his  plan  did  not  attract  him 
deeply.  He  felt  the  need  of  being  by  himself.  After  a  turn 
or  two  up  and  down  his  luxurious  office  he  took  the  elevator 
down  to  the  street  floor,  dismissed  his  chauffeur,  and  whirled 
off  in  his  car,  taking  the  opposite  direction  from  that  which 
would  have  taken  him  to  the  Hale  residence.  Harriet  Hale 
was  a  very  pretty  girl  with  a  brilliant  mind  and  a  royal 
fortune.  She  could  entertain  him  and  stimulate  him  tremen- 
dously, and  sometimes  he  almost  thought  the  attraction  was 
strong  enough  to  last  him  through  life;  but  Harriet  Hale 
would  not  be  able  to  appreciate  his  present  mood  nor  explain 
to  him  why  the  presence  in  his  office  for  fifteen  minutes  of  a 
nervy  little  stenographer  who  was  willing  to  live  in  a  barn 
ehould  have  made  him  so  vaguely  dissatisfied  with  himself. 
If  he  were  to  try  to  tell  her  about  it,  he  felt  sure  he  would 
meet  with  laughing  taunts  and  brilliant  sarcasm.  She  would 
never  understand. 

He  took  little  notice  of  where  he  was  going,  threading  his 
way  skilfully  through  the  congested  portion  of  the  city  and 
out  into  the  comparatively  empty  highways,  until  at  last  he 
found  himself  in  the  suburbs.  The  name  of  the  street  as  he 
slowed  up  at  a  grade  crossing  gave  him  an  idea.  Why 
shouldn't  he  take  a  run  out  and  hunt  up  that  barn  for  himself  ? 
What  had  she  said  about  it,  where  it  was  ?  He  consulted  the 
memorandum  he  had  written  down  for  his  father's  edification. 
"  Glenside  Road,  near  Allister  Avenue."  He  further  searched 
his  memory.  "Big  stone  barn,  wide  approach  like  a  grand 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  4f 

staircase,  tall  tree  overhanging,  brook."  This  surely  ought  to 
be  enough  to  help  him  identify  it.  There  surely  were  not  a 
flock  of  stone  barns  in  that  neighborhood  that  would  answer 
that  description. 

He  turned  into  Glenside  Koad  with  satisfaction,  and  set  a 
sharp  watch  for  the  names  of  the  cross-avenues  with  a  view  to 
finding  Allister  Avenue,  and  once  he  stopped  and  asked  a  man 
in  an  empty  milk-wagon  whether  he  knew  where  Allister 
Avenue  was,  and  was  informed  that  it  was  "  on  a  piece,  about 
five  miles." 

There  was  something  interesting  in  hunting  up  his  own 
strange  barn,  and  he  began  to  look  about  him  and  try  to  see 
things  with  the  eyes  of  the  girl  who  had  just  called  upon  him. 

Most  of  the  fields  were  green  with  spring,  and  there  was 
an  air  of  things  doing  over  them,  as  if  growing  were  a  business 
that  one  could  watch,  like  house-cleaning  and  paper-hanging 
and  painting.  Graham  had  never  noticed  before  that  the 
great  bare  spring  out-of-doors  seemed  to  have  a  character  all 
its  own,  and  actually  to  have  an  attraction.  A  little  later 
when  the  trees  were  out,  and  all  the  orchards  in  bloom,  and 
the  wild  flowers  blowing  in  the  breeze,  he  could  rave  over- 
spring;  but  he  had  never  seen  the  charm  of  its  beginnings 
before.  He  wondered  curiously  over  the  fact  of  his  keen 
appreciation  now. 

The  sky  was  all  opalescent  with  lovely  pastel  colors  along 
the  horizon,  and  a  few  tall,  lank  trees  had  put  on  a  soft  gauze 
of  green  over  their  foreheads  like  frizzes,  discernible  only  to  a 
close  observer.  The  air  was  getting  chilly  with  approaching 
night,  and  the  bees  were  no  longer  proclaiming  with  their 
hum  the  way  to  the  skunk-cabbages;  but  a  delicate  perfume 
was  in  the  air,  and  though  perhaps  Graham  had  never  even 


44  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

heard  of  skunk-cabbages,  he  drew  in  long  breaths  of  sweetness, 
and  let  out  his  car  over  the  smooth  road  with  a  keen  delight. 

Behind  a  copse  of  fine  old  willows,  age-tall  and  hoary  with 
weather,  their  extremities  just  hinting  of  green,  as  they  stood 
knee-deep  in  the  brook  on  its  way  to  a  larger  stream,  he  first 
caught  sight  of  the  old  barn. 

He  knew  it  at  once  by  something  indefinable.  Its  sub- 
stantial stone  spaciousness,  its  mossy  roof,  its  arching  tree, 
and  the  brook  that  backed  away  from  the  wading  willows,  up 
the  hillside,  under  the  rail  fence,  and  ran  around  its  side,  all 
were  unmistakable.  He  could  see  it  just  as  the  girl  had  seen 
it,  and  something  in  him  responded  to  her  longing  to  live 
there  and  make  it  into  a  home.  Perhaps  he  was  a  dreamer, 
even  as  she,  although  he  passed  in  the  world  of  business  for  a 
practical  young  man.  But  anyhow  he  slowed  his  car  down 
and  looked  at  the  place  intently  as  he  passed  by.  He  was 
convinced  that  this  was  the  place.  He  did  not  need  to  go  on 
and  find  Allister  Avenue — though  he  did,  and  then  turned 
back  again,  stopping  by  the  roadside.  He  got  out  of  the  car, 
looking  all  the  time  at  the  barn  and  seeing  it  in  the  light  of 
the  girl's  eyes.  As  he  walked  up  the  grassy  slope  to  the  front 
doors,  he  had  some  conception  of  what  it  must  be  to  live  so 
that  this  would  seem  grand  as  a  home.  And  he  showed  he  was 
not  spoiled  by  his  life  in  the  lap  of  luxury,  for  he  was  able  to 
get  a  glimpse  of  the  grandeur  of  the  spot  and  the  dignity  of 
the  building  with  its  long  simple  lines  and  rough  old  stones. 

The  sun  was  just  going  down  as  he  stood  there  looking  up. 
It  touched  the  stones,  and  turned  them  into  jewelled  settings, 
glorifying  the  old  structure  into  a  palace.  The  evening  was 
sweet  with  the  voices  of  birds  not  far  away.  One  above  the 
rest,  clear  and  occasional,  high  in  the  elm-tree  over  the  barn, 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  45 

a  wood-thrush  spilling  its  silver  notes  down  to  the  brook  that 
echoed  them  back  in  a  lilt  The  young  man  took  off  his  hat 
and  stood  in  the  evening  air,  listening  and  looking.  He  could 
see  the  poetry  of  it,  and  somehow  he  could  see  the  girl's  face 
as  if  she  stood  there  beside  him,  her  wonderful  eyes  lighted  as 
they  had  been  when  she  told  him  how  beautiful  it  was  there. 
She  was  right.  It  was  beautiful,  and  it  was  a  lovely  soul  that 
could  see  it  and  feel  what  a  home  this  would  make  in  spite  of 
the  ignominy  of  its  being  nothing  but  a  barn.  Some  dim 
memory,  some  faint  remembrance,  of  a  stable  long  ago,  and 
the  glory  of  it,  hovered  on  the  horizon  of  his  mind;  but  his 
education  had  not  been  along  religious  lines,  and  he  did  not 
put  the  thing  into  a  definite  thought.  It  was  just  a  kind  of 
sensing  of  a  great  fact  of  the  universe  which  he  perhaps  might 
have  understood  in  a  former  existence. 

Then  he  turned  to  the  building  itself.  He  was  practical, 
after  all,  even  if  he  was  a  dreamer.  He  tried  the  big  padlock. 
How  did  they  get  into  this  thing  ?  How  had  the  girl  got  in  ? 
Should  he  be  obliged  to  break  into  his  own  barn? 

He  walked  down  the  slope,  around  to  the  back,  and  found 
the  entrance  close  to  the  ladder ;  but  the  place  was  quite  dark 
within  the  great  stone  walls,  and  he  peered  into  the  gloomy 
basement  with  disgust  at  the  dirt  and  murk.  Only  here  and 
there,  where  a  crack  looked  toward  the  setting  sun,  a  bright 
needle  of  light  sent  a  shaft  through  to  let  one  see  the  inky 
shadows.  He  was  half  turning  back,  but  reflected  that  the 
girl  had  said  she  went  up  a  ladder  to  the  middle  floor.  If 
she  had  gone,  surely  he  could.  Again  that  sense  that  she  was 
stronger  than  he  rebuked  him.  He  got  out  his  pocket  flash- 
light and  stepped  within  the  gloom  determinedly.  Holding 
the  flash-light  above  his  head,  he  surveyed  his  property  disap- 


46  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

provingly;  then  with  the  light  in  his  hand  he  climbed  ID  a 
gingerly  way  up  the  dusty  rounds  to  the  middle  floor. 

As  he  stood  alone  in  the  dusky  shadows  of  the  big  barn, 
with  the  blackness  of  the  hay-loft  overhead,  the  darkness 
pierced  only  by  the  keen  blade  of  the  flash-light  and  a  few 
feebler  darts  from  the  sinking  sun,  the  poetry  suddenly  left 
the  old  barn,  and  a  shudder  ran  through  him.  To  think  of 
trying  to  live  here !  How  horrible ! 

Yet  still  that  same  feeling  that  the  girl  had  more  nerve 
than  he  had  forced  him  to  walk  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
floor,  peering  carefully  into  the  dark  corners  and  acquainting 
himself  fully  with  the  bare,  big  place;  and  also  to  climb  part 
V^ay  up  the  ladder  to  the  loft  and  send  his  flash-light  searching 
through  its  dusty  hay-strewn  recesses. 

With  a  feeling  utterly  at  variance  with  the  place  he  turned 
away  in  disgust,  and  made  his  way  down  the  ladders  again,  out 
into  the  sunset. 

In  that  short  time  the  evening  had  arrived.  The  sky  had 
flung  out  banners  and  pennants,  pencilled  by  a  fringe  of  fine 
saplings  like  slender  brown  threads  against  the  sky.  The 
earth  was  sinking  into  dusk,  and  off  by  the  brook  the  frogs 
were  tinkling  like  tiny  answering  silver  rattles.  The  smell 
of  earth  and  growing  stole  upon  his  senses,  and  even  as  he 
gazed  about  him  a  single  star  burned  into  being  in  the  clear 
ether  above  him.  The  birds  were  still  now,  and  the  frogs 
with  the  brook  for  accompaniment  held  the  stage.  Once  more 
the  charm  of  the  place  stole  over  him;  and  he  stood  with  hat 
removed,  and  wondered  no  longer  that  the  girl  was  willing  to 
live  here.  A  conviction  grew  within  him  that  somehow  he 
must  make  it  possible  for  her  to  do  so,  that  things  would  not 
be  right  and  as  they  ought  to  be  unless  he  did.  In  fact,  he 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  47 

had  a  curiosity  to  have  her  do  it  and  see  whether  it  pould 
be  done. 

He  went  slowly  down  to  his  car  at  last  with  lingering 
backward  looks.  The  beauty  of  the  situation  was  undoubted, 
and  called  for  admiration.  It  was  too  bad  that  only  a  barn 
should  occupy  it.  He  would  like  to  see  a  fine  house  reared 
upon  it.  But  somehow  in  his  heart  he  was  glad  that  it  was 
not  a  fine  house  standing  there  against  the  evening  sky,  and 
that  it  was  possible  for  him  to  let  the  girl  try  her  experiment 
of  living  there.  Was  it  possible  ?  Could  there  be  any  mistake  ? 
Could  it  be  that  he  had  not  found  the  right  barn,  after  all? 
He  must  make  sure,  of  course. 

But  still  he  turned  his  car  toward  home,  feeling  reasonably 
sure  that  he  had  found  the  right  spot ;  and,  as  he  drove  swiftly 
back  along  the  way,  he  was  thinking,  and  all  his  thoughts  were 
woven  with  the  softness  of  the  spring  evening  and  permeated 
with  its  sounds.  He  seemed  to  be  in  touch  with  nature  as  he 
had  never  been  before. 

At  dinner  that  night  he  asked  his  father : 

"  Did  Grandfather  Graham  ever  live  out  on  the  old  Glen- 
;ide  Road,  father?" 

A  pleasant  twinkle  came  in  the  elder  Graham's  eyes. 

"  Sure !  "  he  said.  "  Lived  there  myself  when  I  was  five 
years  old,  before  the  old  man  got  to  speculating  and  made  his 
pile,  and  we  got  too  grand  to  stay  in  a  farmhouse.  I  can 
remember  rolling  down  a  hill  under  a  great  big  tree,  and 
your  Uncle  Billy  pushing  me  into  the  brook  that  ran  at  the 
foot.  We  boys  used  to  wade  in  that  brook,  and  build  damsv 
and  catch  little  minnows,  and  sail  boats.  It  was  great  sport 
I  used  to  go  back  holidays  now  and  then  after  I  got  old 
enough  Co  go  away  to  school.  We  were  living  in  town  then. 


48  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

but  I  used  to  like  to  go  out  and  stay  at  the  farmhouse.  It 
was  rented  to  a  queer  old  dick;  but  his  wife  was  a  good  sort, 
and  made  the  buliiest  apple  turnovers  for  us  boys — and  dough- 
nuts! The  old  farmhouse  burned  down  a  year  or  so  ago. 
But  the  barn  is  still  standing.  I  can  remember  how  proud 
your  grandfather  was  of  that  barn.  It  was  finer  than  any 
barn  around,  and  bigger.  We  boys  used  to  go  up  in  the  loft, 
and  tumble  in  the  hay;  and  once  when  I  was  a  little  kid  I 
got  lost  in  the  hay,  and  Billy  had  to  dig  me  out.  I  can 
remember  how  scared  I  was  when  I  thought  I  might  have  to 
stay  there  forever,  and  have  nothing  to  eat." 

"  Say,  father,"  said  the  son,  leaning  forward  eagerly, 
"Pve  a  notion  I'd  like  to  have  that  old  place  in  my  share. 
Do  you  think  it  could  be  arranged?  The  boys  won't  care, 
I'm  sure ;  they're  always  more  for  the  town  than  the  country." 

"  Why,  yes,  I  guess  that  could  be  fixed  up.  You  just  see 
Mr.  Dalrymple  about  it.  He'll  fix  it  up.  Billy's  boy  got  that 
place  up  river,  you  know.  Just  see  the  lawyer,  and  he'll  fix 
it  up.  No  reason  in  the  world  why  you  shouldn't  have  the 
old  place  if  you  care  for  it.  Not  much  in  it  for  money, 
though,  I  guess.  They  tell  me  property's  way  down  out  that 
direction  now.'' 

The  talk  passed  to  other  matters,  and  Sidney  Graham  said 
nothing  about  his  caller  of  the  afternoon,  nor  of  the  trip  he 
had  taken  out  to  see  the  old  barn.  Instead,  he  took  his  father'^ 
advice,  and  saw  the  family  lawyer,  Mr.  Dalrymple,  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning. 

It  was  all  arranged  in  a  few  minutes.  Mr.  Dalrymple 
called  up  the  other  heirs  and  the  children's  guardian.  An  office- 
boy  hurried  out  with  some  papers,  and  carne  back  with  the 
signatures  of  heirs  and  guardians,  who  happened  all  to  be 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  49 

within  reach;  and  presently  the  control  of  the  old  farm  was 
formally  put  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Sidney  Graham,  he  having 
signed  certain  papers  agreeing  to  take  this  as  such  and  such 
portion  of  his  right  in  the  whole  estate. 

It  had  been  a  simple  matter ;  and  yet,  when  at  about  half- 
past  eleven  o'clock  Mr.  Dalrymple's  stenographer  laid  a  folded 
paper  quietly  on  Sidney  Graham's  desk  and  silently  left  the 
room,  he  reached  out  and  touched  it  with  more  satisfaction 
ihan  he  had  felt  in  any  acquisition  in  a  long  time,  not  except- 
ing his  last  racing-car.  It  was  not  the  value  the  paper  repre- 
sented, however,  that  pleased  him,  but  the  fact  that  he  would 
now  be  able  to  do  as  he  pleased  concerning  the  prospective 
tenant  for  the  place,  and  follow  out  a  curious  and  interesting 
experiment.  He  wanted  to  study  this  girl  and  see  whether  she 
really  had  the  nerve  to  go  and  live  in  a  barn — a  girl  with  a 
face  like  that  to  live  in  a  barn !  He  wanted  to  see  what  man- 
ner of  girl  she  was,  and  to  have  the  right  to  watch  her  for  a 
little  space. 

It  is  true  that  the  morning  light  might  present  her  in  a 
very  different  aspect  from  that  in  which  she  had  appeared 
the  evening  before,  and  he  mentally  reserved  the  right  to  turn 
her  down  completely  if  she  showed  the  least  sign  of  not  being 
all  that  he  had  thought  her.  At  the  same  time,  he  intended 
to  be  entirely  sure.  He  would  not  turn  her  away  without  a 
thorough  investigation. 

Graham  had  been  greatly  interested  in  the  study  of  social 
science  when  in  college,  and  human  nature  interested  him  at 
all  times.  He  could  not  but  admit  to  himself  that  this  girl 
had  taken  a  most  unusual  hold  upon  his  thoughts. 


CHAPTER  V 

As  the  morning  passed  on  and  it  drew  near  to  the  noofl 
hour  Sidney  Graham  found  himself  almost  excited  over  the 
prospect  of  the  girl's  coming.  Such  foolish  fancies  as  a  featf 
lest  she  might  have  given  up  the  idea  and  would  not  come  at 
all  presented  themselves  to  his  distraught  brain,  which  refused 
to  go  on  its  well-ordered  way,  but  kept  reverting  to  the  ex* 
pected  caller  and  what  he  should  say  to  her.  When  at  las? 
she  was  announced,  he  drew  back  his  chair  from  the  desk^ 
and  prepared  to  meet  her  with  a  strange  tremor  in  his  whol* 
bearing.  It  annoyed  him,  and  brought  almost  a  frown  of 
sternness  to  his  fine  features.  It  seemed  not  quite  in  keeping 
with  his  dignity  as  junior  member  of  his  father's  firm  that  he 
should  be  so  childish  over  a  simple  matter  like  this,  and  he 
began  to  doubt  whether,  after  all,  he  might  not  be  doing  * 
most  unwise  and  irregular  thing  in  having  anything  at  all  te 
do  with  this  girl's  preposterous  proposition.  Then  Shirle^ 
entered  the  office,  looked  eagerly  into  his  eyes ;  and  he  straight' 
way  forgot  all  his  reasoning.  He  met  her  with  a  smile  thai 
seemed  to  reassure  her,  for  she  drew  in  her  breath  half  relieved, 
and  smiled  shyly  back. 

She  was  wearing  a  little  old  crepe  de  chine  waist  that  she 
had  dyed  a  real  apple-blossom  pink  in  the  wash-bowl  with  a 
bit  of  pink  crepe-paper  and  a  kettle  of  boiling  water.  The 
collar  showed  neatly  over  the  shabby  dark-blue  coat,  and 
seemed  to  reflect  apple-blossom  tints  in  her  pale  cheeks. 
There  was  something  sky-like  in  the  tint  of  her  eyes  that  gave 
the  young  man  a  sense  of  spring  fitness  as  he  looked  at  her 
contentedly.  He  was  conscious  of  gladness  that  she  looked  aa 
50 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  51 

good  to  him  in  the  broad  day  as  in  the  dusk  of  evening.  There 
was  still  that  spirited  lift  of  her  chin,  that  firm  set  of  the 
Bweet  lips,  that  gave  a  conviction  of  strength  and  nerve.  He 
reflected  that  he  had  seldom  seen  it  in  the  girls  of  his  ac- 
quaintance. Was  it  possible  that  poverty  and  privation  and 
Mg  responsibility  made  it,  or  was  it  just  innate  ? 

"You — you  have  found  out?"  she  asked  breathlessly  as 
she  sat  down  on  the  edge  of  the  chair,  her  whole  body  tense 
with  eagerness. 

"Sure!  It's  all  right,"  he  said  smilingly.  "You  can 
rent  it  if  you  wish." 

"And  the  price  ?  "    It  was  evident  the  strain  was  intense. 

"  Why,  the  price  will  be  all  right,  I'm  sure.  It  really  isn't 
worth  what  you  mentioned  at  all.  It's  only  a  barn,  you  know. 
We  couldn't  think  of  taking  more  than  ten  dollars  a  month, 
if  we  took  that.  I  must  look  it  over  again;  but  it  won't  be 
more  than  ten  dollars,  and  it  may  be  less." 

Young  Graham  wore  his  most  businesslike  tone  to  say 
this,  and  his  eyes  were  on  the  paper-knife  wherewith  he  was 
mutilating  his  nice  clean  blotter  pad  on  the  desk. 

"  Oh !  "  breathed  Shirley,  the  color  almost  leaving  her  face 
entirely  with  the  relief  of  his  words.  "  Oh,  really  ? " 

"And  you  haven't  lost  your  nerve  about  living  away  out 
there  in  the  country  in  a  great  empty  barn  ?  "  he  asked  quickly 
to  cover  her  embarrassment — and  his  own,  too,  perhaps. 

"  Oh,  no !  "  said  Shirley  with  a  smile  that  showed  a  dimple 
in  one  cheek,  and  the  star  sparks  in  her  eyes.  "  Oh,  no !  It 
is  a  lovely  barn,  and  it  won't  be  empty  when  we  all  get  into  it." 

"Are  there  many  of  you  ?  "  he  asked  interestedly.  Already 
the  conversation  was  taking  on  a  slightly  personal  tinge,  but 
neither  of  them  was  at  all  aware  of  it. 


5*  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Two  brothers  and  two  sisters  and  mother,"  said  the  girl 
ahjrly.  She  was  so  full  of  delight  over  finding  that  she  could 
rent  the  barn  that  she  hardly  knew  what  she  was  answering. 
She  was  unconscious  of  the  fact  that  she  had  in  a  way  taken 
this  strange  young  man  into  her  confidence  by  her  shy,  sweet 
tone  and  manner. 

"  Your  mother  approves  of  your  plan  ?  "  he  asked.  "  She 
doesn't  object  to  the  country  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  told  her  yet,"  said  Shirley.  « I  don't  know 
that  I  shall;  for  she  has  been  quite  sick,  and  she  trusts  me 
entirely.  She  loves  the  country,  and  it  will  be  wonderful  to 
her  to  get  out  there.  She  might  not  like  the  idea  of  a  barn 
befoiehand;  but  she  has  never  seen  the  barn,  you  know,  and, 
besides,  it  won't  look  like  a  barn  inside  when  I  get  it  fixed 
up.  I  must  talk  it  over  with  George  and  Carol,  but  I  don't 
think  I  shall  tell  her  at  all  till  we  take  her  out  there  and  sur- 
prise her.  I'll  tell  her  I've  found  a  place  that  I  think  she 
will  like,  and  ask  her  if  I  may  keep  it  a  surprise.  She'll  be 
willing,  and  she'll  be  pleased,  I  know!"  Her  eyes  were 
smiling  happily,  dreamily ;  the  dreamer  was  uppermost  in  her 
face  now,  and  made  it  lovely ;  then  a  sudden  cloud  came,  and 
the  strong  look  returned,  with  courage  to  meet  a  storm. 

"  But,  anyhow/'  she  finished  after  a  pause,  "  we  have  to 
<go  there  for  the  summer,  for  we've  nowhere  else  to  go  that  we 
can  afford ;  and  anywhere  out  of  the  city  will  be  good,  even  if 
mother  doesn't  just  choose  it.  I  think  perhaps  it  will  be 
easier  for  her  if  she  doesn't  know  about  it  until  she's  there.  It 
won't  seem  so  much  like  not  going  to  live  in  a  house." 

"  I  see,"  said  the  young  man  interestedly.  "  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  you  are  right.  And  anyhow  I  think  we  can  manage 
between  us  to  make  it  pretty  habitable  for  her."  He  was  speak- 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  53 

ing  eagerly  and  forgetting  that  he  had  no  right,  but  a  flush 
came  into  the  sensitive  girl's  cheek. 

"  Oh,  I  wouldn't  want  to  make  you  trouble,"  she  said. 
"You  have  been  very  kind  already,  and  you  have  made  the 
rent  so  reasonable !  I'm  afraid  it  isn't  right  and  fair ;  it  i» 
such  a  lovely  barn !  " 

"  Perfectly  fair,"  said  Graham  glibly.  "It  will  do  the 
barn  good  to  be  lived  in  and  taken  care  of  again." 

If  he  had  been  called  upon  to  tell  just  what  good  it  would 
do  the  barn  to  be  lived  in,  he  might  have  floundered  out  of 
the  situation,  perhaps;  but  he  took  care  not  to  make  that 
necessary.  He  went  on  talking. 

"  I  will  see  that  everything  is  in  good  order,  the  doors 
made  all  right,  and  the  windows — I — that  is,  if  I  remember 
rightly  there  were  a  few  little  things  needed  doing  to  that 
barn  that  ought  to  be  attended  to  before  you  go  in.  How  soon 
did  you  want  to  take  possession  ?  I'll  try  to  have  it  all  ready 
for  you." 

"  Oh,  why,  that  is  very  kind,"  said  Shirley.  « I  don't 
think  it  needs  anything;  that  is,  I  didn't  notice  anything, 
but  perhaps  you  know  best.  Why,  we  have  to  leave  our  house 
the  last  of  this  month.  Do  you  suppose  we  could  have  the 
rent  begin  a  few  days  before  that,  so  we  could  get  things  moved 
gradually?  I  haven't  much  time,  only  at  night,  you  know." 

"We'll  date  the  lease  the  first  of  next  month,"  said  the 
young  man  quickly ;  "  and  then  you  can  put  your  things  in 
any  time  you  like  from  now  on.  I'll  see  that  the  locks  are 
made  safe,  and  there  ought  to  be  a  partition  put  in — just  a 
simple  partition,  you  know — at  one  end  of  the  up-stairs  room, 
where  you  could  lock  up  things.  Then  you  could  take  them 
up  there  when  you  like.  I'll  attend  to  that  partition  at  once, 


54  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

The  barn  needs  it.  This  is  as  good  a  time  as  any  to  put  it  in. 
You  wouldn't  object  to  a  partition?  That  wouldn't  upset 
any  of  your  plans  ?  " 

He  spoke  as  if  it  would  be  a  great  detriment  to  the  barn 
not  to  have  a  partition,  but  of  course  he  wouldn't  insist  if  she 
disliked  it. 

"  Oh,  why,  no,  of  course  not,"  said  Shirley,  bewildered. 
"It  would  be  lovely.  Mother  could  use  that  for  her  room, 
but  I  wouldn't  want  you  to  do  anything  on  our  account  that 
you  do  not  have  to  do  anyway." 

"  Oh,  no,  certainly  not,  but  it  might  as  well  be  done  now 
as  any  time,  and  you  get  the  benefit  of  it,  you  know.  I 
shouldn't  want  to  rent  the  place  without  putting  it  in  good 
order,  and  a  partition  is  always  needed  in  a  barn,  you  know,  if 
it's  to  bi  a  really  good  barn/' 

It  wa •,  well  that  no  wise  ones  were  listening  to  that  con- 
versation; else  they  might  have  laughed  aloud  at  this  point 
and  betrayed  the  young  man's  strategy,  but  Shirley  was  all 
untutored  in  farm  lore,  and  knew  less  about  barns  and  their 
needs  than  she  did  of  Sanskrit ;  so  the  remark  passed  without 
exciting  her  suspicion. 

"  Oh,  it's  going  to  be  lovely ! "  said  Shirley  suddenly,  like 
an  eager  child,  "and  I  can't  thank  you  enough  for  being  so 
kind  about  it." 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  the  young  man  gracefully.  "And  now 
you  will  want  to  go  out  and  look  around  again  to  make  your 
plans.  Were  you  planning  to  go  soon  ?  I  should  like  to  have 
you  look  the  place  over  again  and  see  if  there  is  anything1 
else  that  should  be  done." 

"  Oh,  why,"  said  Shirley,  "  I  don't  think  there  could  be 
anything  else;  only  I'd  like  16  have  a  key  to  that  big  front 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  55 

door,  for  we  couldn't  carry  things  up  the  ladder  very  welL 
I  was  thinking  I'd  go  out  this  afternoon,  perhaps,  if  I  could 
get  George  a  leave  of  absence  for  a  little  while.  There's  been 
a  death  in  our  firm,  and  the  office  is  working  only  half-time 
to-day,  and  I'm  off  again.  I  thought  I'd  like  to  have  George 
see  it  if  possible;  he's  very  wise  in  his  judgments,  and  mother 
trusts  him  a  lot  next  to  me ;  but  I  don't  know  whether  they'll 
let  him  off  on  such  short  notice." 

"  Where  does  he  work?  " 

"  Farwell  and  Story's  department  store.  They  are  pretty 
particular,  but  George  is  allowed  a  day  off  every  three  months 
if  he  takes  it  out  of  his  vacation ;  so  I  thought  I'd  try." 

"  Here,  let  me  fix  that.  Harry  Farwell's  a  friend  of 
mine."  He  caught  up  the  telephone. 

"  Oh,  you  are  very  kind !  "  murmured  Shirley,  quite  over- 
come at  the  blessings  that  were  falling  at  her  feet. 

Graham  already  had  the  number,  and  was  calling  for 
Mr.  Farwell,  Junior. 

"  That  you,  Hal  ?  Oh,  good  morning !  Have  a  good  time 
last  night  ?  Sorry  I  couldn't  have  been  there,  but  I  had  three 
other  engagements  and  couldn't  get  around.  Say,  I  want  to 
ask  a  favor  of  you.  You  have  a  boy  there  in  the  store  I 
want  to  borrow  for  the  afternoon  if  you  don't  mind.  His 
name  is  George  Hollister.  Could  you  look  him  up  and  send 
him  over  to  my  office  pretty  soon  ?  It  will  be  a  personal  favor 
to  me  if  you  will  let  him  off  and  not  dock  his  pay.  Thank  you ! 
I  was  sure  you  would.  Return  the  favor  sometime  myself  if 
opportunity  comes  my  way.  Yes,  I'll  hold  the  phone  till 
you  hunt  him  up.  Thank  you." 

Graham  looked  up  from  the  phone  into  the  astonished| 
grateful  girl's  eyes,  and  caught  her  look  of  deep  admiration, 


56  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

which  quite  confused  Shirley  for  a  moment,  and  put  her  in  a 
terrible  way  trying  to  thank  him  again. 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right.  Farwell  and  I  went  to  prep  school 
together.  It's  nothing  for  him  to  arrange  matters.  He  says 
it  will  be  all  right.  Now,  what  are  your  plans  ?  I  wonder  if 
I  can  help  in  any  way.  How  were  you  planning  to  go  out  ?  " 

"  Oh,  by  the  trolley,  of  course,"  said  Shirley.  How  strange 
it  must  be  to  have  other  ways  of  travelling  at  one's  command ! 

"I  did  think,"  she  added,  half  thinking  aloud,  "that 
perhaps  I  would  stop  at  the  schoolhouse  and  get  my  sister. 
I  don't  know  but  it  would  be  better  to  get  her  judgment  about 
things.  She  is  rather  a  wise  little  girl." 

She  looked  up  suddenly,  and  seeing  the  young  man's  eyes 
upon  her,  grew  ashamed  that  she  had  brought  her  private 
affairs  to  his  notice ;  yet  it  had  seemed  necessary  to  say  some- 
thing to  fill  in  this  embarrassing  pause.  But  Sidney  Graham 
did  not  let  her  continue  to  be  embarrassed.  He  entered  into 
her  plans  just  as  if  they  concerned  himself  also. 

"  Why,  I  think  that  would  be  a  very  good  plan,"  he  said. 
"  It  will  be  a  great  deal  better  to  have  a  real  family  council 
before  you  decide  about  moving.  Now  I've  thought  of  some- 
thing. Why  couldn't  you  all  go  out  in  the  car  with  me  and 
my  kid  sister  ?  I've  been  promising  to  take  her  a  spin  in  the 
country,  and  my  chauffeur  is  to  drive  her  down  this  afternoon 
for  me.  It's  almost  time  for  her  to  be  here  now.  Your 
brother  will  be  here  by  the  time  she  comes.  Why  couldn't 
we  just  go  around  by  the  schoolhouse  and  pick  up  your 
sister,  and  all  go  out  together?  I  want  to  go  out  myself, 
you  know,  and  look  things  over,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  would 
save  time  all  around.  Then,  if  there  should  be  anything  you 
want  done,  you  know " 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  5K 

"'Oh,  there  is  nothing  I  want  done/'  gasped  Shirley. 
"  You  have  been  most  kind.  I  couldn't  think  of  asking  for 
anything  at  the  price  we  shall  be  paying.  And  we  mustn't 
impose  upon  you.  We  can  go  out  in  the  trolley  perfectly 
well,  and  not  trouble  you." 

"  Indeed,  it  is  no  trouble  whatever  when  I  am  going  any- 
way." Then  to  the  telephone :  "  Hello !  He's  coming,  you 
say?  He's  on  his  way?  Good.  Thank  you  very  much, 
Harry.  Good-by ! " 

"  That's  all  right ! "  he  said,  turning  to  her,  smiling. 
"Your  brother  is  on  his  way,  and  now  excuse  me  just  a 
moment  while  I  phone  to  my  sister." 

Shirley  sat  with  glowing  cheeks  and  apprehensive  mind 
while  the  young  man  called  up  a  girl  whom  he  addressed  as 
"Kid"  and  told  her  to  hurry  the  car  right  down,  that  he 
wanted  to  start  very  soon,  and  to  bring  some  extra  wraps  along 
for  some  friends  he  was  going  to  take  with  him. 

He  left  Shirley  no  opportunity  to  express  her  overwhelm- 
ing thanks,  but  gave  her  some  magazines,  and  hurried  from 
the  room  to  attend  to  some  matters  of  business  before  he  left. 


CHAPTER  VI 

SHIRLEY  sat  with  shining  eyes  and  glowing  cheeks,  turn- 
ing over  the  leaves  of  the  magazines  with  trembling  fingers, 
but  unable  to  read  anything,  for  the  joy  of  what  was  before 
her.  A  real  automobile  ride!  The  first  she  had  ever  had! 
And  it  was  to  include  George  and  Carol!  How  wonderful  I 
And  how  kind  in  him,  how  thoughtful,  to  take  his  own  sister?l 
and  hers,  and  so  make  the  trip  perfectly  conventional  and 
proper!  What  a  nice  face  he  had!  What  fine  eyes!  Hf 
didn't  seem  in  the  least  like  the  young  society  man  she  knetf 
he  must  be  from  the  frequent  mention  she  had  noticed  of  hitf 
name  in  the  papers.  He  was  a  real  gentleman,  a  real  noble- 
man! There  were  such.  It  was  nice  to  know  of  them  notf 
and  then,  even  though  they  did  move  in  a  different  orbit  from 
the  one  where  she  had  been  set.  It  gave  her  a  happier  feeling 
about  the  universe  just  to  have  seen  how  nice  a  man  could  be 
to  a  poor  little  nobody  when  he  didn't  have  to.  For  of  course 
it  couldn't  be  anything  to  him  to  rent  that  barn — at  ten 
dollars  a  month !  That  was  ridiculous !  Could  it  be  that  he 
was  Chinking  her  an  object  of  charity  ?  That  he  felt  sorry  for 
her  and  made  the  price  merely  nominal?  She  couldn't  have 
that.  It  wasn't  right  nor  honest,  and — it  wasn't  respectable ! 
That  was  the  way  unprincipled  men  did  when  they  wanted  to 
humor  foolish  little  dolls  of  girls.  Could  it  be  that  he 
thought  of  her  in  any  such  way? 

Her  cheeks  flamed  hotly  and  her  eyes  flashed.  She  sat  up 
very  straight  indeed,  and  began  to  tremble.  How  was  it  she 
had  not  thought  of  such  a  thing  before?  Her  mother  had 
58 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  59 

warned  her  to  be  careful  about  having  anything  to  do  with 
strange  men,  except  in  the  most  distant  business  way;  and 
here  had  she  been  telling  him  frankly  all  the  private  affaire 
of  the  family  and  letting  him  make  plans  for  her.  How  had  it 
happened  ?  What  must  he  think  of  her?  This  came  of  trying 
to  keep  a  secret  from  mother.  She  might  have  known  it  was 
wrong,  and  yet  the  case  was  so  desperate  and  mother  so  likely 
to  worry  about  any  new  and  unconventional  suggestion.  It 
had  seemed  right.  But  of  course  it  wasn't  right  for  her  to 
fall  in  that  way  and  allow  him  to  take  them  all  in  his  car. 
She  must  put  a  stop  to  it  somehow.  She  must  go  in  the 
trolley  if  she  went  at  all.  She  wasn't  sure  but  she  had  better 
call  the  whole  thing  off  and  tell  him  they  couldn't  live  in 
a  barn,  that  she  had  changed  her  mind.  It  would  be  so 
dreadful  if  he  had  taken  her  for  one  of  those  girls  who  wanted 
to  attract  the  attention  of  a  young  man ! 

In  the  midst  of  her  perturbed  thoughts  the  door  opened 
und  Sidney  Graham  walked  in  again.  His  fine,  clean-cut 
face  and  clear  eyes  instantly  dispelled  her  fears  again.  His 
bearing  was  dignified  and  respectful,  and  there  was  something 
in  the  very  tone  of  his  voice  as  he  spoke  to  her  that  restored 
her  confidence  in  him  and  in  his  impression  of  her.  Her  half- 
formed  intention  of  rising  and  declining  to  take  the  ride  with 
him  fled,  and  she  sat  quietly  looking  at  the  pictures  in  the 
magazine  with  unseeing  eyes. 

"  I  hope  you  will  find  something  to  interest  you  for  a  few 
minutes,"  young  Graham  said  pleasantly.  "  It  won't  be  long, 
but  there  are  one  or  two  matters  I  promised  father  I  would 
attend  to  before  I  left  this  afternoon.  There  is  an  article  in 
that  other  magazine  under  your  hand  there  about  beautifying 
country  homes,  bungalows,  and  the  like.  It  may  give  you 


*0  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

some  ideas  about  the  old  barn.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  a  few 
flowers  and  vines  might  do  a  whole  lot/' 

He  found  the  place  in  the  magazine,  and  left  her  again; 
and  strangely  enough  she  became  absorbed  in  the  article  be- 
cause her  imagination  immediately  set  to  work  thinking  how 
glorious  it  would  be  to  have  a  few  flowers  growing  where 
Doris  could  go  out  and  water  them  and  pick  them.  She  grew 
so  interested  in  the  remarks  about  what  flowers  would  grow 
best  in  the  open  and  which  were  easiest  to  care  for  that 
she  got  out  her  little  pencil  and  notebook  that  were  in  her 
<»at-pocket,  and  began  to  copy  somie  of  the  lists,  Then 
suddenly  the  door  opened  again,  and  Graham  returned 
with  George. 

The  boy  stopped  short  on  the  threshold,  startled,  a  white 
Wave  of  apprehension  passing  over  his  face.  He  did  not  speak. 
The  boy-habit  of  silence  and  self-control  in  a  crisis  was  upon 
him.  He  looked  with  apprehension  from  one  to  the  other. 

Shirley  jumped  to  her  feet. 

"  Oh,  George,  I'm  so  glad  you  could  come !  This  is  Mr. 
Graham.  He  has  been  kind  enough  to  offer  to  take  us  in  hia 
car  to  see  a  place  we  can  rent  for  the  summer,  and  it  was 
through  his  suggestion  that  Mr.  Farwell  let  you  off  for  the 
afternoon." 

There  was  a  sudden  relaxing  of  the  tenseness  in  the  young 
face  and  a  sigh  of  relief  in  the  tone  as  the  boy  answered : 

"Aw,  gee !  That's  great !  Thanks  awfully  for  the  holiday. 
They  don't  come  my  way  often.  It'll  be  great  to  have  a  ride 
in  a  car,  too.  Some  lark,  eh,  Shirley  ?  " 

The  boy  warmed  to  the  subject  with  the  friendly  grasp  the 
young  man  gave  him,  and  Shirley  could  see  her  brother  had 
made  a  good  impression ;  for  young  Graham  was  smiling  ap- 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  61 

preciatively,  showing  all  his  even  white  teeth  just  as  if  he 
enjoyed  the  boy's  offhand  way  of  talking. 

"  I'm  going  to  leave  you  here  for  ten  minutes  more  until 
I  talk  with  a  man  out  here  in  the  office.  Then  we  will  go," 
said  young  Graham,  and  hurried  away  again. 

"  Gee,  Shirley ! "  said  the  boy,  flinging  himself  down 
luxuriously  in  a  big  leather  chair.  "  Gee !  You  certainly  did 
give  me  some  start !  I  thought  mother  was  worse,  or  you'd 
got  arrested,  or  lost  your  job,  or  something,  finding  you  here 
in  a  strange  office.  Some  class  to  this,  isn't  there  ?  Look  at 
the  thickness  of  that  rug ! "  and  he  kicked  the  thick  Turkish 
carpet  happily.  "  Say,  he  must  have  some  coin !  Who  is  the 
guy,  anyway?  How'd  ya  get  onto  the  tip?  You  don't  think 
he's  handing  out  Vanderbilt  residences  at  fifteen  a  month, 
do  you?" 

"  Listen,  George.  I  must  talk  fast  because  he  may  come 
back  any  minute.  Yesterday  I  got  a  half-holiday,  and  in- 
stead of  going  home  I  thought  I'd  go  out  and  hunt  a  house.  I 
took  the  Glenside  trolley ;  and,  when  we  got  out  past  the  city, 
I  heard  two  men  talking  about  a  place  we  were  passing.  It 
was  a  great  big,  beautiful  stone  barn.  They  told  who  owned 
it,  and  said  a  lot  about  its  having  such  a  splendid  spring  of 
water  beside  it.  It  was  a  beautiful  place,  George;  and  I 
couldn't  help  thinking  what  a  thing  it  would  be  for  mother 
to  be  out  in  the  country  this  summer,  and  what  a  wonderful 
house  that  would  make " 

"  We  couldn't  live  in  a  barn,  Shirl !  "  said  the  boy,  aghast. 

"  Wait,  George.  Listen.  Just  you  don't  say  that  till  you 
see  it.  It's  the  biggest  barn  you  ever  saw,  and  I  guess  it 
hasn't  been  used  for  a  barn  in  a  long  time.  I  got  out  of  tho 
farollev  on  the  way  back,  and  went  in.  It  is  iust  enormous^ 


OS  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

and  we  could  screen  off  rooms  and  live  like  princes.  It  has 
a  great  big  front  door,  and  we  could  have  a  hammock  under 
the  tree;  and  there's  a  brook  to  fish  in,  and  a  big  third  story 
with  hay  in  it.  I  guess  it's  what  they  call  in  books  a  hay-loft. 
If  s  great." 

"  Gee ! "  was  all  the  electrified  George  could  utter.  "  Oh, 
gee!" 

"  It  is  on  a  little  hill  with  the  loveliest  tree  in  front  of  it, 
and  right  on  the  trolley  line.  We'd  have  to  start  a  little 
earlier  in  the  morning ;  but  I  wouldn't  mind,  would  you  ?  " 

"  Naw !  "  said  George,  "  but  could  we  walk  that  far  ?  " 

"  No,  we'd  have  to  ride,  but  the  rent  is  so  much  lower  it 
would  pay  our  carfare." 

"  Gee !  "  said  George  again,  "  isn't  that  great  ?  And  is  this 
the  guy  that  owns  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  or  at  least  he  and  his  father  do.  He's  been  very 
kind.  He's  taking  all  this  trouble  to  take  us  out  in  his  car 
to-day  to  make  sure  if  there  is  anything  that  needs  to  be  done 
for  our  comfort  there.  He  certainly  is  an  unusual  man  for 
a  landlord." 

"  He  sure  is,  Shirley.  I  guess  mebbe  he  has  a  case  on  you 
the  way  he  looks  at  you." 

"George!"  said  Shirley  severely,  the  red  staining  her 
cheeks  and  her  eyes  flashing  angrily.  "  George  !  That  was  a 
dreadful  thing  for  you  to  say.  If  you  ever  even  think  a  thing 
like  that  again,  I  won't  have  anything  to  do  with  him  or  the 
place.  We'll  just  stay  in  the  city  all  summer.  I  suppose 
perhaps  that  would  be  better,  anyway." 

Shirley  got  up  and  began  to  button  her  coat  haughtily,  as 
if  she  were  going  out  that  minute. 

"Aw,  gee,  Shirley !    I  was  just  kidding.    Can't  you  take  a 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  63 

joke?  This  thing  must  be  getting  on  your  nerves.  I  nevei 
saw  you  so  touchy." 

"  It  certainly  is  getting  on  my  nerves  to  have  you  say  a 
thing  like  that,  George/' 

Shirley's  tone  was  still  severe. 

"Aw,  cut  the  grouch,  Shirley.  I  tell  you  I  was  just 
kidding.  'Course  he's  a  good  guy.  He  probably  thinks  you're 
oross-eyed,  knock-kneed " 

"  George ! "  Shirley  started  for  the  door ;  but  the  irre- 
pressible George  saw  it  was  time  to  stop,  and  he  put  out  an 
arm  with  muscles  that  were  iron-like  from  many  wrestlings 
and  ball-games  with  his  fellow  laborers  at  the  store. 

"  Now,  Shirley,  cut  the  comedy.  That  guy5!!  be  coming 
back  next,  and  you  don't  want  to  have  him  ask  what's  the 
matter,  do  you?  He  certainly  is  some  fine  guy.  I  wouldn't 
like  to  embarrass  him,  would  you?  He's  a  peach  of  a  looker. 
Say,  Shirley,  what  do  you  figure  mother's  going  to  say  about 
this?" 

Shirley  turned,  half  mollified. 

"  That's  just  what  I  want  to  ask  you,  George.  I  don't 
want  to  tell  mother  until  it's  all  fixed  up  and  we  can  show  if 
to  her.  You  know  it  will  sound  a  great  deal  worse  to  talk 
about  living  in  a  barn  than  it  will  to  go  in  and  see  it  all  fixed 
up  with  rugs  and  curtains  and  screens  and  the  piano  and  a 
couch,  and  the  supper-table  set,  and  the  sun  setting  outside 
the  open  door,  and  a  bird  singing  in  the  tree." 

"  Gee !  Shirley,  wouldn't  that  be  some  class  ?  Say,  Shirley, 
don't  let's  tell  her !  Let's  just  make  her  Say  she'll  trust  the 
moving  to  us  to  surprise  her.  Can't  you  kid  her  along  and 
make  her  willing  for  that?" 

"  Why,  that  was  what  I  was  thinking.    If  you  think  there's 


64  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

no  danger  she  will  be  disappointed  and  sorry,  and  think  we 
ought  to  have  done  something  else." 

"  What  else  could  we  do  ?  Say,  Shirley,  it  would  be  great 
to  sleep  in  the  hay-loft ! " 

"We  could  just  tell  her  we  were  coming  out  in  the 
country  for  the  summer  to  camp  in  a  nice  place  where  it  was 
safe  and  comfortable,  and  then  we  would  have  plenty  of  time 
to  look  around  for  the  right  kind  of  a  house  for  next  winter." 

"  That's  the  dope,  Shirley !  You  give  her  that.  She'll  fall 
for  that,  sure  thing.  She'll  like  the  country.  At  least,  if 
it's  like  what  you  say  it  is." 

"  Well,  you  wait  till  you  see  it." 

"  Have  you  told  Caro1  °  "*  asked  George,  suddenly  sobering. 
Carol  was  his  twin  sister,  inseparable  chum,  and  companion 
when  he  was  at  home. 

"No,"  said  Shirley,  "I  haven't  had  a  chance;  but  Mr. 
Graham  suggested  we  drive  around  by  the  school  and  get  her. 
Then  she  can  see  how  she  likes  it,  too ;  and,  if  Carol  thinks 
so,  we'll  get  mother  not  to  ask  any  questions,  but  just  trust 
tons." 

"  Gee !  That  guy's  great.  He's  got  a  head  on  him.  Some 
lark,  what?" 

"  Yes,  he's  been  very  kind,"  said  Shirley.  "At  first  I  told 
him  I  couldn't  let  him  take  so  much  trouble  for  us,  but  he 
said  he  was  going  to  take  his  sister  out  for  a  ride " 

"A  girl !  Aw,  gee !  I'm  going  to  beat  it ! "  George 
stopped  in  his  eager  walk  back  and  forth  across  the  office, 
and  seized  his  old  faded  cap. 

"  George,  stop !  You  mustn't  be  impolite.  Besides,  I 
think  she's  only  a  very  little  girl,  probably  like  Doris.  Ht 
jailed  her  his  ' kid  sister.'" 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  65 

"H'm!  You  can't  tell.  I  ain't  going  to  run  any  risks. 
I  better  beat  it.'' 

But  George's  further  intentions  were  suddenly  brought 
to  a  finish  by  the  entrance  of  Mr.  Sidney  Graham. 

"Well,  Miss  Hollister,"  he  said  with  a  smile,  "we  are 
ready  at  last.  I'm  sorry  to  have  kept  you  waiting  so  long; 
but  there  was  something  wrong  with  one  of  my  tires,  and  the 
chauffeur  had  to  run  around  to  the  garage.  Come  on,  George/* • 
he  said  to  the  boy,  who  hung  shyly  behind  now,  wary  of  any 
lurking  female  who  might  be  haunting  the  path.  "  Guess 
you'll  have  to  sit  in  the  front  seat  with  me,  and  help  me 
drive.  The  chauffeur  has  to  go  back  and  drive  for  mother. 
She  has  to  go  to  some  tea  or  other." 

George  suddenly  forgot  the  possible  girl,  and  followed  his 
new  hero  to  the  elevator  with  a  swelling  soul.  What  would 
the  other  fellows  at  the  store  think  of  him?  A  whole  half- 
holiday,  an  automobile-ride,  and  a  chance  to  sit  in  the  front 
and  learn  to  drive !  But  all  he  said  was : 

"Aw,  gee !    Yes,  sure  thing ! " 

The  strange  girl  suddenly  loomed  on  his  consciousness 
again  as  they  emerged  from  the  elevator  and  came  out  on  the 
street.  She  was  sitting  in  the  great  back  seat  alone,  arrayed 
HI  a  big  blue  velvet  coat  the  color  of  her  eyes,  and  George 
felt  at  once  all  hands  and  feet.  She  was  a  slender  wisp  of  a 
thing  about  Carol's  age,  with  a  lily  complexion  and  a  wealth 
of  gold  hair  caught  in  a  blue  veil.  She  smiled  very  prettily 
when  her  brother  introduced  her  as  "  Elizabeth."  There  was 
nothing  snobbish  or  disagreeable  about  her,  but  that  blue 
velvet  coat  suddenly  made  George  conscious  of  his  own  com- 
mon attire,  and  gave  Shirley  a  pang  of  dismay  at  her  own 
little  shabby  suit. 


66  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

However,  Sidney  Graham  soon  covered  all  differences  ii* 
the  attire  of  his  guests  by  insisting  that  they  should  don  the 
two  long  blanket  coats  that  he  handed  them;  and  somehow 
when  George  was  seated  in  the  big  leather  front  seat,  with 
that  great  handsome  coat  around  his  shoulders,  he  did  not 
much  mind  the  blue  velvet  girl  behind  him,  and  mentally 
resolved  to  earn  eitoagh  to  get  Carol  a  coat  like  it  some  day ; 
only  Carol's  should  be  pink  or  red  to  go  with  her  black  eyes 
and  pink  cheeks. 

After  all,  it  was  Shirley,  not  George,  who  felt  embarrass- 
ment over  the  strange  girl  and  wished  she  had  not  come.  She 
was  vexed  with  herself  for  it,  too.  It  was  foolish  to  let  a 
child  no  older  than  Carol  fluster  her  so,  but  the  thought  of  a 
long  ride  alone  on  that  back  seat  with  the  dainty  young  girl 
actually  frightened  her. 

But  Elizabeth  was  not  frightened.  She  had  been  brought 
up  in  the  society  atmosphere,  and  was  at  home  with  people 
always,  everywhere.  She  tucked  the  robes  about  her  guest, 
helped  Shirley  button  the  big,  soft  dark-blue  coat  about  her, 
rem'arking  that  it  got  awfully  chilly  when  they  were  going; 
and  somehow  before  Shirley  had  been  able  to  think  of  a  single 
word  to  say  in  response  the  conversation  seemed  to  be  moving 
along  easily  without  her  aid. 

<e  Sid  says  we're  going  to  pick  up  your  sister  from  her 
echool.  I'm  so  glad !  How  old  is  she  ?  About  my  age  ? 
Won't  that  be  delightful?  I'm  rather  lonesome  this  spring 
because  all  my  friends  are  in  school.  I've  been  away  at 
boarding-school,  and  got  the  measles.  Wasn't  that  too  silly 
lor  a  great  big  girl  like  me  ?  And  the  doctor  said  I  couldn't 
study  any  more  this  spring  on  account  of  my  eyes.  It's  terribly 
lonesome.  I've  been  home  six  weeks  now,  and  I  don't  know 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  67 

what  to  do  with  myself.  What' s  your  sister's  name  ?  Carol  ? 
Carol  Hollister?  That's  a  pretty  name!  Is  she  the  only 
sister  you  have?  A  baby  sister?  How  sweet!  What's  her 
name?  Oh,  I  think  Doris  is  the  cutest  name  ever.  Doris 
Hollister.  Why  don't  we  go  and  get  Doris?  Wouldn't  she 
like  to  ride,  too?  Oh,  it's  too  bad  your  mother  is  ill;  but 
of  course  she  wouldn't  want  to  stay  all  alone  in  the  house 
without  some  of  her  family." 

Elizabeth  was  tactful.  She  knew  at  a  glance  that  trained 
nurses  and  servants  could  not  be  plentiful  in  a  family  where 
the  young  people  wore  such  plain,  old-style  garments.  She 
gave  no  hint  of  such  a  thought,  however. 

"  That's  your  brother,"  she  went  on,  nodding  toward 
George.  "  I've  got  another  brother,  but  he's  seventeen  and 
away  at  college,  so  I  don't  see  much  of  him.  Sid's  very  good 
to  me  when  he  has  time,  and  often  he  takes  me  to  ride. 
We're  awfully  jolly  chums,  Sid  and  I.  Is  this  the  school 
where  your  sister  goes?  She's  in  high  school,  then.  The 
third  year?  My!  She  must  be  bright.  I've  only  finished 
my  second.  Does  she  know  she's  going  with  us?  What  fun 
to  be  called  out  of  school  by  a  surprise!  Oh,  I  just  know 
I'm  going  to  like  her." 

Shirley  sat  dumb  with  amazement,  and  listened  to  the 
eager  gush  of  the  lively  girl,  wondered  what  shy  Carol  would 
say,  trying  to  rouse  herself  to  answer  the  young  questioner  in 
the  same  spirit  in  which  she  asked  questions. 

Gteorge  came  out  with  Carol  in  a  very  short  time,  Carol 
struggling  into  her  coat  and  trying  to  straighten  her  hat, 
while  George  mumbled  in  her  ear  as  he  helped  her  clumsily: 

"  Some  baby  doll  out  there !  Kid,  you  better  preen  your 
feathers.  She's  been  gassing  with  Shirley  to  beat  the  band 


68  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

I  couldn't  hear  all  they  said,  but  she  asked  a  lot  about  you. 
You  should  worry !  Hold  up  your  head,  and  don't  flicker  an 
eyelash.  You're  as  good  as  she  is  any  day,  if  you  don't  look 
all  dolled  up  like  a  new  saloon.  But  she's  some  looker! 
Pretty  as  a  red  wagon!  Her  brother's  a  peach  of  a  fellow, 
"He's  going  to  let  me  run  the  car  when  we  get  out  of  the 
city  limit;  and  say!  Shirley  says  for  me  to  tell  you  we're 
going  out  to  look  at  a  barn  where  we're  going  to  move  this 
summer,  and  you're  not  to  say  a  word  about  it's  being  a  barn. 
See  ?  Get  onto  that  sky-blue-pink  satin  scarf  she's  got  around 
her  head?  Ain't  she  some  chicken,  though?" 

"  Hush,  George !  She'll  hear  you !  "  murmured  Carol  in 
dismay.  "  What  do  you  mean  about  a  barn  ?  How  could 
we  live  in  a  barn  ?  " 

"You  just  shut  up  and  saw  wood,  kid,  and  you'll  see. 
Shirley  thinks  she's  got  onto  something  pretty  good." 

Then  Carol  was  introduced  to  the  beautiful  blue-velvet 
girl  and  sat  down  beside  her,  wiapped  in  a  soft  furry  cloak 
of  garnet,  to  be  whirled  away  into  a  fairy-land  of  wonder. 


CHAPTER  VII 

CAROL  and  Elizabeth  got  on  very  well  together.  Shirley 
was  amazed  to  see  the  ease  with  which  her  sister  entered  into 
this  new  relation,  unawed  by  the  garments  of  her  hostess. 
Carol  had  more  of  the  modern  young  America  in  her  than 
Shirley,  perhaps,  whose  early  life  had  been  more  conventionally 
guarded.  Carol  was  democratic,  and,  strange  to  say,  felt 
slightly  superior  to  Elizabeth  on  account  of  going  to  a  public 
school.  The  high-school  girls  were  in  the  habit  of  referring 
to  a  neighboring  boarding-school  as  "  Dummy's  Ketreat " ; 
and  therefore  Carol  was  not  at  all  awed  by  the  other  girl,  who 
declared  in  a  friendly  manner  that  she  had  always  been  crazy 
to  go  to  the  public  school,  and  asked  rapid  intelligent  ques- 
tions about  the  doings  there.  Before  they  were  out  of  the 
city  limits  the  two  girls  were  talking  a  steady  stream,  and 
one  could  see  from  their  eyes  that  they  liked  each  other. 
Shirley,  relieved,  settled  back  on  the  comfortable  cushions, 
and  let  herself  rest  and  relax.  She  tried  to  think  how  it 
would  feel  to  own  a  car  like  this  and  be  able  to  ride  around 
when  she  wanted  to. 

On  the  front  seat  George  and  Graham  were  already  ex- 
cellent friends,  and  George  was  gaining  valuable  information 
about  running  a  car,  which  he  had  ample  opportunity  to 
put  into  practice  as  soon  as  they  got  outside  the  crowded 
thoroughfares. 

They  were  perhaps  half-way  to  the  old  barn  and  running 
smoothly  on  an  open  road,  with  no  one  in  sight  a  long  way 
ahead,  when  Graham  turned  back  to  Shirley,  leaving  George 


70  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

to  run  the  car  for  a  moment  himself.  The  boy's  heart 
swelled  with  gratitude  and  utmost  devotion  to  be  thus  trusted* 
Of  course  there  wasn't  anything  to  do  but  keep  things  just  a/) 
he  had  been  told,  but  this  man  realized  that  he  would  do  it 
and  not  perform  any  crazy,  daring  action  to  show  off.  Georgo 
set  himself  to  be  worthy  of  this  trust.  To  be  sure,  young 
Graham  had  a  watchful  <eye  upon  things,  and  was  taking  no 
chances ;  but  he  let  the  boy  feel  free,  and  did  not  make  him 
aware  of  his  espionage,  which  is  a  course  of  action  that  will 
win  any  boy  to  give  the  best  that  is  in  him  to  any  responsibility, 
if  he  has  any  best  at  all. 

It  was  not  the  kind  of  conversation  that  one  would  ex- 
pect between  landlord  and  tenant  that  the  young  girl  and  the 
man  carried  on  in  these  brief  sentences  now  and  then.  He 
called  her  attetion  to  the  soft  green  tint  that  was  spreading 
over  the  tree-tops  more  distinctly  than  the  day  before ;  to  the 
lazy  little  clouds  floating  over  the  blue;  to  the  tinting  of  the 
fields,  now  taking  on  every  hour  new  colors ;  to  the  perfume  in 
the  air.  So  with  pleasantness  of  passage  they  arrived  at  last 
at  the  old  barn. 

Like  a  pack  of  eager  children  they  tumbled  out  of  the  car 
and  hurried  up  to  the  barn,  all  talking  at  once,  forgetting  all 
difference  in  station.  They  were  just  young  and  out  on  a  picnic. 

Graham  had  brought  a  key  for  the  big  padlock ;  and  clum- 
sily the  man  and  the  boy,  unused  to  such  manoeuvres,  unlocked 
and  shoved  back  the  two  great  doors. 

"These  doors  are  too  heavy.  They  should  have  ball 
bearings,"  remarked  young  Graham.  "  I'll  attend  to  that  at 
once.  They  should  be  made  to  move  with  a  light  touch.  I 
declare  it  doesn't  pay  to  let  property  lie  idle  without  a  tenant, 
there  are  so  many  little  things  that  get  neglected.* 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  71 

He  walked  around  with  a  wise  air  as  if  he  had  been  an 
active  landowner  for  years,  though  indeed  he  was  looking  at 
everything  with  strange,  ignorant  eyes.  His  standard  was  a 
home  where  every  detail  was  perfect,  and  where  necessitiea 
came  and  vanished  with  the  need.  This  was  his  first  view 
into  the  possibilities  of  "  being  up  against  it,"  as  he  phrased 
it  in  his  mind. 

Elizabeth  in  her  blue  velvet  cloak  and  blue  cloudy  veil 
stood  like  a  sweet  fairy  in  the  wide  doorway,  and  looked 
around  with  delight. 

"  Oh  Sid,  wouldn't  this  be  just  a  dandy  place  for  a  party?  " 
she  exclaimed  eagerly.  "  You  could  put  the  orchestra  over 
in  that  corner  behind  a  screen  of  palms,  and  decorate  with 
gray  Florida  moss  and  asparagus  vine  with  daffodils  wired 
on  in  showers  from  the  beams,  and  palms  all  around  the  walla, 
and  colored  electrics  hidden  everywhere.  You  could  run  a  wire 
in  from  the  street,  couldn't  you?  the  way  they  did  at  Uncle 
Andy's,  and  serve  the  supper  out  on  the  lawn  with  little 
individual  rustic  tables.  Brower  has  them,  and  brings  them 
out  with  rustic  chairs  to  match.  You  could  have  the  tree 
wired,  too,  and  have  colored  electrics  all  over  the  place.  Oh ! 
wouldn't  it  be  just  heavenly?  Say,  Sid,  Carol  says  they  are 
coming  out  here  to  live,  maybe;  why  couldn't  we  give  them  a 
party  like  that  for  a  house-warming  ?  " 

Sidney  Graham  looked  at  his  eager,  impractical  young 
sister  and  then  at  the  faces  of  the  three  Hollisters,  and  tried 
not  to  laugh  as  the  tremendous  contrast  of  circumstances  was 
presented  to  him.  But  his  rare  tact  served  him  in  good  stead 

"  Why,  Elizabeth,  that  would  doubtless  be  very  delightful ; 
but  Miss  Hollister  tells  me  her  mother  has  been  quite  ill,  and 
I'm  sure,  while  that  might  be  the  happiest  thing  imaginable 


72  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

for  you  young  iolks,  it  would  be  rather  trying  on  an  invalid. 
J  guess  you'll  have  to  have  your  parties  somewhere  else  for  the 
present." 

"  Oh ! "  said  Elizabeth  with  quick  recollection,  e '  of 
course !  They  told  me  about  their  mother.  How  thoughtless 
of  me!  But  it  would  be  lovely,  wouldn't  it,  Miss  HoDister? 
Can't  you  see  it?" 

She  turned  in  wistful  appeal  to  Shirley,  and  that  young 
•woman,  being  a  dreamer  herself,  at  once  responded  with  a 
radiant  smile: 

"  Indeed  I  can,  and  it  would  be  lovely  indeed,  but  I've  been 
thinking  what  a  lovely  home  it  could  be  made,  too." 

"  Yes  ?  "  said  Elizabeth  questioningly,  and  looking  around 
with  a  dubious  frown.  "  It  would  need  a  lot  of  changing,  I 
should  think.  You  would  want  hardwood  floors,  and  lots  of 
rugs,  and  some  partitions  and  windows " 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  Shirley,  laughing.  "  We're  not  hardwood 
people,  dear;  we're  just  plain  hard-working  people;  and  all 
Ire  need  is  a  quiet,  sweet  place  to  rest  in.  It's  going  to  be 
Just  heavenly  here,  with  that  tree  outside  to  shade  the  door- 
way, and  all  this  wide  space  to  walk  around  in.  We  live  in 
a  little  narrow  city  house  now,  and  never  have  any  place  to 
get  out  except  the  street.  We'll  have  the  birds  and  the  brook 
for  orchestra,  and  we  won't  need  palms,  because  the  trees  and 
vines  will  soon  be  in  leaf  and  make  a  lovely  screen  for  our 
orchestra.  I  imagine  at  night  the  stars  will  have  almost  as 
many  colors  as  electrics." 

Elizabeth  looked  at  her  with  puzzled  eyes,  but  half 
convinced. 

"Well,  yes,  perhaps  they  would,"  she  said,  and  smiled 
*  I've  never  thought  of  them  that  way,  but  it  sounds  very 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  7» 

pretty,  quite  like  some  of  Browning's  poetry  that  I  don't 
understand,  or  was  it  Mrs.  Browning?  I  can't  quite 
remember." 

Sidney  Graham,  investigating  the  loft  above  them,  stood 
a  moment  watching  the  tableau  and  listening  to  the  con- 
versation, though  they  could  not  see  him;  and  he  thought 
within  himself  that  it  might  not  be  a  bad  thing  for  his  little 
sister,  with  her  boarding-school  rearing,  to  get  near  to  these 
true-hearted  young  working  people,  who  yet  were  dreamers 
and  poets,  and  get  her  standards  somewhat  modified  by  theirs. 
He  was  especially  delighted  with  the  gentle,  womanly  way  in 
which  Shirley  answered  the  girl  now  when  she  thought 
herself  alone  with  her. 

George  nnd  Carol  had  grasped  hold  of  hands  and  run 
wildly  down  the  slope  to  the  brook  after  a  most  casual  glance 
at  the  interior  of  the  barn.  Elizabeth  now  turned  her  dainty 
high-heeled  boots  in  the  brook's  direction,  and  Shirley  was  left 
alone  to  walk  the  length  and  breadth  of  her  new  abode  and 
make  some  real  plans. 

The  young  man  in  the  dim  loft  above  watched  her  for  a 
moment  as  she  stood  looking  from  one  wall  to  the  other, 
measuring  distances  with  her  eye,  walking  quickly  over  to  the 
window  and  rubbing  a  clear  space  on  the  dusty  pane  with  her 
handkerchief  that  she  might  look  out.  She  was  a  goodly 
sight,  and  he  could  not  help  comparing  her  with  the  girls  he 
knew,  though  their  garments  would  have  far  outshone  hers. 
Still,  even  in  the  shabby  dark-blue  serge  suit  she  seemed 
lovely. 

The  young  people  returned  as  precipitately  as  they  had 
gone,  and  both  Carol  and  George  of  their  own  accord  joined 
Shirley  in  a  brief  council  of  war.  Graham  thoughtfully 


74  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

called  his  sister  away,  ostensibly  to  watch  a  squirrel  high  in 
the  big  tree,  but  really  to  admonish  her  about  making  no 
further  propositions  like  that  for  the  party,  as  the  young 
people  to  whom  he  had  introduced  her  were  not  well  off,  an<? 
had  no  money  or  time  for  elaborate  entertainments. 

"But  they're  lovely,  Sid,  aren't  they?  Don't  you  like 
them  just  awfully?  I  know  you  do,  or  you  wouldn't  have 
taken  the  trouble  to  bring  them  out  here  in  the  car  with  us. 
Say,  you'll  bring  me  to  see  them  often  after  they  come  here 
to  live,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,"  said  her  brother  smilingly.  "  But  hadn't  you 
better  wait  until  they  ask  you?" 

"  Oh,  they'll  ask  me,"  said  Elizabeth  with  a  charming 
smile  and  a  confident  little  toss  of  her  head-  "I'll  make 
them  ask  me." 

"Be  careful,  kid,"  he  said,  still  smiling.  "Eemember, 
they  won't  have  much  money  to  offer  you  entertainment  with, 
and  probably  their  things  are  very  plain  and  simple.  You 
may  embarrass  them  if  you  invite  yourself  out." 

Elizabeth  raised  her  azure  eyes  to  her  brother's  face 
thoughtfully  for  a  moment,  then  smiled  back  confidently  once 
more. 

"  Don't  you  worry,  Sid,  dear ;  there's  more  than  one  way. 
I  won't  hurt  their  feelings,  but  they're  going  to  ask  me,  and 
they're  going  to  want  me,  and  I'm  going  to  come.  Yes,  and 
you're  going  to  bring  me !  " 

She  turned  with  a  laughing  pirouette,  and  danced  down 
the  length  of  the  barn  to  Carol,  catching  her  hand  and 
whirling  her  after  her  in  a  regular  childish  frolic. 

"  Well,  do  you  think  we  ought  to  take  it  ?  Do  you  think 
I  dare  give  my  final  word  without  consulting  mother?1* 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  75 

Shirley  asked  her  brother  when  they  were  thus  left  alone  for  a 
minute. 

"  Sure  thing !  No  mistake !  It's  simply  great .  You 
couldn't  get  a  place  like  this  if  you  went  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  city  and  had  a  whole  lot  more  money  than 
you  have  to  spend." 

"But  remember  it's  a  barn!"  said  Shirley  impressively. 
"  Mother  may  mind  that  very  much." 

"  Not  when  she  sees  it,"  said  Carol,  whirling  back  to  the 
consultation.  "  She'll  think  it's  the  sensiblest  thing  we  ever 
did.  She  isn't  foolish  like  that.  We'll  tell  her  we've  found  a 
place  to  camp  with  a  shanty  attached,  and  she  can't  be  dis- 
appointed. I  think  it'll  be  great.  Just  think  how  Doris  can 
run  in  the  grass !  " 

"  Yes,"  put  in  George.  "  I  was  telling  Carol  down  by  the 
spring — before  that  girl  came  and  stopped  us — I  think  we 
might  have  some  chickens  and  raise  eggs.  Harley  could  do 
that,  and  Carol  and  I  could  raise  flowers,  and  I  could  take 
?em  to  town  in  the  morning.  I  could  work  evenings." 

Shirley  smiled.  She  almost  felt  like  shouting  that  they 
agreed  with  her.  The  place  seemed  so  beautiful,  so  almost 
heavenly  to  her  when  she  thought  of  the  close,  dark  quarters 
at  home  and  the  summer  with  its  heat  coming  on. 

"  We  couldn't  keep  a  lodger,  and  we'd  have  that  much  less," 
said  Shirley  thoughtfully. 

"But  we  wouldn't  have  their  laundry  nor  their  room- 
work  to  do,"  said  Carol,  "  and  I  could  have  that  much  more 
time  for  the  garden  and  chickens." 

"You  mustn't  count  on  being  able  to  make  much  that 
way,"  said  Shirley  gravely.  "  You  know  nothing  about  gar- 
dening, and  would  probably  make  a  lot  of  mistakes  at  firsi; 
anywav." 


W  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"I  can  make  fudge  and  sandwiches,  and  take  them  to 
Bchool  to  sell,"  declared  Carol  stoutly ;  "  and  I'll  find  out  how 
to  raise  flowers  and  parsley  and  little  tilings  people  have  to 
have.  Besides,  there's  watercress  down  by  that  brook,  and 
people  like  that.  We  could  sell  that." 

"Well,  we'll  see,"  said  Shirley  thoughtfully,  but  you 
mustn't  get  up  toe  many  ideas  yet.  If  we  can  only  get 
moved  and  mother  is  satisfied,  I  guess  we  can  get  along.  The 
rent  is  only  ten  dollars." 

"Good  night!  That's  cheap  enough!"  said  George,  and 
drew  a  long  whistle.  Then,  seeing  Elizabeth  approaching, 
he  put  on  an  indifferent  air,  and  sauntered  to  the  dusty 
window  at  the  other  end  of  the  barn. 

Sidney  Graham  appeared  now,  and  took  Shirley  over  to 
the  east  end  to  ask  her  just  where  she  thought  would  be  a 
good  place  to  put  the  partition,  and  did  she  think  it  would 
be  a  good  thing  to  have  another  one  at  the  other  end  just  like 
it?  And  so  they  stood  and  planned,  quite  as  if  Shirley  were 
ordering  a  ten-thousand-dollar  alteration  put  into  her  ten- 
dollar  barn.  Then  suddenly  the  girl  remembered  her  fears; 
and,  looking  straight  up  into  the  interested  face  of  the  young 
man,  she  asked  earnestly: 

"  You  are  sure  you  were  going  to  put  in  these  partitions  ? 
You  are  not  making  any  change  on  my  account?  Because  I 
couldn't  think  of  allowing  you  to  go  to  any  trouble  or  expense, 
you  know." 

Her  straightforward  look  embarrassed  him. 

"  Why,  I "  he  said,  growing  a  little  flushed.  "  Why, 

you  see  I  hadn't  been  out  to  look  things  over  before.  I 
didn't  realize  how  much  better  it  would  be  to  have  those 
iwrtitions  in,  you  know.  But  now  I  intend  to  do  it  right. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  77 

away.  Father  put  the  whole  thing  in  my  hands  to  do  as  I 
pleased.  In  fact,  the  place  is  mine  now,  and  I  want  to  put 
it  in  good  shape  to  rent.  So  don't  worry  yourself  in  the  least 
Things  won't  go  to  wrack  and  ruin  so  quickly,  you  know,  if 
there  is  someone  on  the  place." 

He  finished  his  sentence  briskly.  It  seemed  quite  plausibk 
even  to  himself  now,  and  he  searched  about  for  a  change  of 
topic. 

"You  think  you  can  get  on  here  with  the  rough  floor? 
You  might  put  padding  or  something  under  your  carpets* 

you  know,  but  it  will  take  pretty  large  carpets "  He 

looked  at  her  dubiously.  To  his  conventional  mind  every 
step  of  the  way  was  blocked  by  some  impassable  barrier.  He 
did  not  honestly  see  how  she  was  going  to  do  the  thing  at  all. 

"  Oh,  we  don't  need  carpets ! "  laughed  Shirley  gayly. 
"We'll  spread  down  a  rug  in  front  of  mother's  bed,  and 
another  one  by  the  piano,  and  the  rest  will  be  just  perfectly 
all  right.  We're  not  expecting  to  give  receptions  here,  you 
know,"  she  added  mischievously.  "  We're  only  campers,  and 
very  grateful  campers  at  that,  too,  to  find  a  nice,  clean, 
empty  floor  where  we  can  live.  The  only  thing  that  is  troubling 
me  is  the  cooking.  I've  been  wondering  if  it  will  affect  the 
insurance  if  we  use  an  oil-stove  to  cook  with,  or  would  you 
rather  we  got  a  wood-stove  and  put  the  pipe  out  of  one  of  the 
windows  ?  I've  seen  people  do  that  sometimes.  Of  course  V?Q 
could  cook  outdoors  on  a  camp-fire  if  it  was  necessary,  but  it 
might  be  a  little  inconvenient  rainy  days." 

Graham  gasped  at  the  coolness  with  which  this  slip  of  a 
girl  discoursed  about  hardships  as  if  they  were  necessities  to 
be  accepted  pleasantly  and  without  a  murmur.  She  actually 
would  not  be  daunted  at  the  idea  of  cooking  her  meals  on  a  fire 


78  THE  ENCHANTED  BARNT 

out-of-doors !  Cooking  indeed !  That  was  of  course  a  question 
that  people  had  to  consider.  It  had  never  been  a  question  that 
crossed  his  mind  before.  People  cooked — how  did  they  cook? 
By  electricity,  gas,  coal  and  wood  fires,  of  course.  He  had 
never  considered  it  a  matter  to  be  called  in  any  way  serious. 
But  now  he  perceived  that  it  was  one  of  the  first  main  things 
to  be  looked  out  for  in  a  home.  He  looked  down  at  the 
waiting  girl  with  a  curious  mixture  of  wonder,  admiration, 
and  dismay  in  his  face. 

"  Why,  of  course  you  will  need  a  fire  and  a  kitchen,"  he 
said  as  if  those  things  usually  grew  in  houses  without  any 
help  and  it  hadn't  occurred  to  him  before  that  they  were  not 
indigenous  to  barns.  "Well,  now,  I  hadn't  thought  of  that. 
There  isn't  any  chimney  here,  is  there  ?  H'm !  There  ought 
to  be  a  chimney  in  every  barn.  It  would  be  better  for  the — 
ah — for  the  ha^,  I  should  think;  keep  it  dry,  you  know,  and 
all  that  sort  of  thing.  And  then  I  should  think  it  might  be 
better  for  the  animals.  I  must  look  into  that  matter." 

"  No,  Mr.  Graham,"  said  Shirley  decidedly.  "  There  is  no 
necessity  for  a  chimney.  We  can  perfectly  well  have  the  pipe 
go  through  a  piece  of  tin  set  in  the  back  window  if  you  won't 
object,  and  we  can  use  the  little  oil-stove  when  if  s  very  hot 
if  that  doesn't  affect  the  insurance.  We  have  a  gas  stove, 
of  course,  that  we  could  bring;  but  there  isn't  any  gas  in  a 
barn/' 

Graham  looked  around  blankly  at  the  cobwebby  walls  as  if 
expecting  gas-jets  to  break  forth  simultaneously  with  his  wish. 

"  No,  I  suppose  not,"  he  said,  "  although  I  should  think 
there  ought  to  be.  In  a  barn,  you  know.  But  I'm  sure  there 
will  be  no  objection  whatever  to  your  using  any  kind  of  a  stove 
that  will  work  here.  This  is  a  stone  barn,  you  know,  and  I'm 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  7S 

sure  it  won't  affect  the  insurance.  I'll  find  out  and  let  you 
know." 

Shirley  felt  a  trifle  uneasy  yet  about  those  partitions  and 
the  low  price  of  the  rent,  but  somehow  the  young  man  had 
managed  to  impress  her  with  the  fact  that  he  was  under  no 
unpleasant  delusions  concerning  herself  and  that  he  had  the 
utmost  respect  for  her.  He  stood  looking  down  earnestly  at 
her  for  a  moment  without  saying  a  word,  and  then  he  began 
hesitatingly. 

"  I  wish  you'd  let  me  tell  you,"  he  said  frankly,  "  how 
awfully  brave  you  are  about  all  this,  planning  to  come  out 
here  in  this  lonely  place,  and  not  being  afraid  of  hard  work, 
and  rough  floors,  and  a  barn,  and  even  a  fire  out-of-doors." 

Shirley's  laugh  rang  out,  and  her  eyes  sparkled. 

"Why,  it's  the  nicest  thing  that's  happened  to  me  in 
ages,"  she  said  joyously.  "I  can't  hardly  believe  it's  true 
that  we  can  come  here,  that  we  can  really  afford  to  come  to 
a  great,  heavenly  country  place  like  this.  I  suppose  of  course 
there'll  be  hard  things.  There  always  are,  and  some  of  them 
have  been  just  about  unbearable,  but  even  the  hard  things 
can  be  made  fun  if  you  try.  This  is  going  to  be  grand ! " 
and  she  looked  around  triumphantly  on  the  dusty  rafters  and 
rough  stone  walls  with  a  little  air  of  possession. 

"  You  are  rather  " — he  paused — "  unusual ! "  he  finished 
thoughtfully  as  they  walked  toward  the  doorway  and  stood 
looking  off  at  the  distance. 

But  now  Shirley  had  almost  forgotten  him  in  the  excite- 
ment of  the  view. 

"Just  think  of  waking  up  to  that  every  morning,"  she 
declared  with  a  sweep  of  her  little  blue-elad  arm  toward  the 
view  in  the  distance.  "Those  purply  hills,  the  fringe  of 


80  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

brown  and  green  against  the  horizon,  that  white  spire  nestling 
among  those  evergreens!  Is  that  a  church?  Is  it  near 
enough  for  us  to  go  to?  Mother  wouldn't  want  us  to  be  too 
far  from  church/' 

"  We'll  go  home  that  way  and  discover/'  said  Graham 
decidedly.  "  You'll  want  to  get  acquainted  with  your  new 
neighborhood.  You'll  need  to  know  how  near  there  is  a 
store,  and  where  your  neighbors  live.  We'll  reconnoitre  a 
ttttle.  Are  you  ready  to  go  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  I'm  afraid  we  have  kept  you  too  long  already, 
and  we  must  get  home  about  the  time  Carol  usually  comes 
from  school,  or  mother  will  be  terribly  worried.  Carol  is  never 
later  than  half-past  four." 

"  We've  plenty  of  time,"  said  the  driver  of  the  car,  looking 
at  his  watch  and  smiling  assurance.  "  Call  the  children,  and 
we'll  take  a  little  turn  around  the  neighborhood  before  we  go 
back." 

And  so  the  little  eager  company  were  reluctantly  per- 
suaded to  climb  inta  the  car  again  and  start  on  their  way. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  car  leaped  forward  up  the  smooth  white  road,  and  the 
great  barn  as  they  looked  back  to  it  seemed  to  smile  pleasantly 
to  them  in  farewell.  Shirley  looked  back,  and  tried  to  think 
how  it  would  seem  to  come  home  every  night  and  see  Doris 
standing  at  the  top  of  the  grassy  incline  waiting  to  welcome 
her;  tried  to  fancy  her  mother  in  a  hammock  under  the  big 
tree  a  little  later  when  it  grew  warm  and  summery,  and  the 
boys  working  in  their  garden.  It  seemed  too  heavenly  to 
be  true. 

The  car  swept  around  the  corner  of  Allister  Avenue,  and 
curved  down  between  tall  trees.  The  white  spire  in  the  dis- 
tance drew  nearer  now,  and  the  purplish  hills  were  off  at  one 
side.  The  way  was  fresh  with  smells  of  spring,  and  every- 
where were  sweet  scents  and  droning  bees  and  croaking  frogs. 
The  spirit  of  the  day  seemed  to  enter  into  the  young  people 
and  make  them  glad.  Somehow  all  at  once  they  seemed  to 
have  known  one  another  a  long  time,  and  to  be  intimately 
acquainted  with  one  another's  tastes  and  ecstasies.  They  ex- 
claimed together  over  the  distant  view  of  the  misty  city  with 
the  river  winding  on  its  far  way,  and  shouted  simultaneously 
over  a  frightened  rabbit  that  scurried  across  the  road  and  hid 
in  the  brushwood ;  and  then  the  car  wound  round  a  curve  and 
the  little  white  church  swept  into  view  below  them. 

"The  little  white  church  in  the  valley 
Is  bright  with  the  blossoms  of  May, 
And  true  is  the  heart  of  your  lover 

Who  waits  for  your  coming  to-day!  " 
6  81 


8*  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

chanted  forth  George  in  a  favorite  selection  of  the  department- 
store  victrola,  and  all  the  rest  looked  interested.  It  was  a 
pretty  church,  and  nestled  under  the  hills  as  if  it  were  part 
of  the  landscape,  making  a  home-centre  for  the  town. 

"We  can  go  to  church  and  Sunday-school  there/'  said 
Shirley  eagerly.  "  How  nice !  That  will  please  mother ! " 

Elizabeth  looked  at  her  curiously,  and  then  speculatively 
toward  the  church. 

"  It  looks  awfully  small  and  cheap/'  said  Elizabeth. 

"All  the  more  chance  for  us  to  help !  "  said  Shirley.  "  It 
will  be  good  for  us/' 

"  What  could  you  do  to  help  a  church  ?  "  asked  the  won- 
dering Elizabeth.  "  Give  money  to  paint  it  ?  The  paint  is  all 
scaling  off." 

"  We  couldn't  give  much  money/'  said  Carol,  "  because  we 
haven't  got  it.  But  there's  lots  of  things  to  do  in  a  church 
besides  giving.  You  teach  in  Sunday-school,  and  you  wait 
on  table  at  suppers  when  they  have  Ladies'  Aid." 

"  Maybe  they'll  ask  you  to  play  the  organ,  Shirley,"  sug- 
gested George. 

"Oh  George!"  reproved  Shirley.  "They'll  have  plenty 
that  can  play  better  than  I  can.  Eemember  I  haven't  had 
time  to  practise  for  ages." 

"  She's  a  crackerjack  at  the  piano ! "  confided  George  to 
Graham  in  a  low  growl.  u  She  hasn't  had  a  lesson  since 
father  died,  but  before  that  she  used  to  be  at  it  all  the  time. 
She  c'n  sing  too.  You  oughtta  hear  her." 

"I'm  sure  I  should  like  to,"  assented  Graham  heartily. 
u  I  wonder  if  you  will  help  me  get  her  to  sing  sometime  if  I 
come  out  to  call  after  you  are  settled." 

"  Sure !  "  said  George  heartily,  "  but  she  mebbe  won't  do 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  88 

it.  She's  awful  nutty  about  singing  sometimes.  She's  not 
etuck  on  herself  nor  nothing." 

But  the  little  white  church  was  left  far  behind,  and  the 
city  swept  on  apace.  They  were  nearing  home  now,  and 
Graham  insisted  on  knowing  where  they  lived,  that  he  might 
put  them  down  at  their  door.  Shirley  would  have  pleaded  an 
errand  and  had  them  set  down  in  the  business  part  of  the 
town;  but  George  airily  gave  the  street  and  number,  and 
Shirley  could  not  prevail  upon  Graham  to  stop  at  his  office 
and  let  them  go  their  way. 

And  so  the  last  few  minutes  of  the  drive  were  silent  for 
Shirley,  and  her  cheeks  grew  rosy  with  humiliation  over  the 
dark  little  narrow  street  where  they  would  presently  arrive. 
Perhaps  when  he  saw  it  this  cultured  young  man  would  think 
they  were  too  poor  and  common  to  be  good  tenants  even  for  a 
barn.  But,  when  they  stopped  before  the  little  two-story  brick 
house,  you  would  not  have  known  from  the  expression  on  the 
young  man's  face  as  he  glanced  at  the  number  but  that  the 
house  was  a  marble  front  on  the  most  exclusive  avenue  in  the 
city.  He  handed  down  Shirley  with  all  the  grace  that  he 
would  have  used  to  wait  upon  a  millionaire's  daughter,  and 
she  liked  the  way  he  helped  out  Carol  and  spoke  to  George  as 
if  he  were  an  old  chum. 

"  I  want  you  to  come  and  see  me  next  Saturday,"  called 
Elizabeth  to  Carol  as  the  car  glided  away  from  the  curb ;  "  and 
I'm  coming  out  to  help  you  get  settled,  remember ! " 

The  brother  and  two  sisters  stood  in  front  of  their  little 
old  dark  house,  and  watched  the  elegant  car  glide  away.  They 
were  filled  with  wonder  at  themselves  that  they  had  been  all 
the  afternoon  a  part  of  that  elegant  outfit.  Was  it  a  dream  ? 
They  rubbed  their  eyes  as  the  car  disappeared  around  the 


84  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

corner,  and  turned  to  look  up  at  the  familiar  windows  and 
make  sure  where  they  were.  Then  they  stood  a  moment  to 
decide  how  they  should  explain  to  the  waiting  mother  why 
fchey  happened  to  be  home  so  early. 

It  was  finally  decided  that  George  should  go  to  hunt  up  a 
drayman  and  find  out  what  he  would  charge  to  move  their 
things  to  the  country,  and  Shirley  should  go  to  a  neighbor's 
to  inquire  about  a  stove  she  heard  they  wanted  to  sell.  Then 
Carol  could  go  in  alone,  and  there  would  be  nothing  to  ex- 
plain. There  was  no  telling  when  either  George  or  Shirley 
would  have  a  holiday  again,  and  it  was  as  well  to  get  these 
things  arranged  as  soon  as  possible. 

Meantime  Elizabeth  Graham  was  eagerly  interviewing  her 
brother,  having  taken  the  vacant  front  seat  for  the  purpose. 

"  Sid,  where  did  you  find  those  perfectly  dear  people  ?  I 
think  they  are  just  great !  And  are  they  really  going  to  live  in 
that  barn  ?  Won't  that  be  dandy  ?  I  wish  mother'd  let  me  go 
out  and  spend  a  month  with  them.  I  mean  to  ask  her.  That 
Carol  is  the  nicest  girl  ever.  She's  just  a  dear ! " 

"  Now,  look  here,  kid/'  said  Graham,  facing  about  to  his 
sister.  "I  want  you  to  understand  a  thing  or  two.  I  took 
you  on  this  expedition  because  I  thought  I  could  trust  you. 
See?" 

Elizabeth  nodded. 

"  W«ll,  I  don't  want  a  lot  of  talk  at  home  about  this.  Do 
you  understand  ?  I  want  you  to  wait  a  bit  and  go  slow.  If 
things  seem  to  be  aii  right  a  little  later  on,  you  can  ask  Carol 
to  come  and  bee  you,  perhaps;  but  you'll  have  to  look  out. 
She  hasn't  fine  clothes  to  go  visiting  in,  I  imagine,  and  they're 
pretty  proud.  I  guess  they've  lost  their  money.  Their  father 
died  a  couple  of  years  ago,  and  they've  been  up  against  it. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  85 

They  do  seem  like  awfully  nice  people,  I'll  admit;  and,  if  it's 
all  right  later  on,  you  can  get  to  be  friends,  but  you'll  have  to 
go  slow.  Mother  wouldn't  understand  it,  and  she  mustn't  be 
annoyed,  you  know.  I'll  take  you  out  to  see  them  sometime 
when  they  get  settled  if  it  seems  all  right,  but  meantime  can 
you  keep  your  tongue  still  ?  " 

Elizabeth's  face  fell,  but  she  gave  her  word  immediately. 
She  and  her  brother  were  chums ;  it  was  easy  to  see  that. 

"  But  can't  I  have  her  out  for  a  week-end,  Sid  ?  Can't  I 
tell  mother  anything  about  her  ?  I  could  lend  her  some  dresses, 
you  know." 

"  You  go  slow,  kid,  and  leave  the  matter  to  me.  I'll  tell 
mother  about  them  pretty  soon  when  I've  had  a  chance  to  see 
a  little  more  of  them  and  am  sure  mother  wouldn't  mind. 
Meantime,  don't  you  fret.  I'll  take  you  out  when  I  go  on 
business,  and  you  shall  see  her  pretty  soon  again." 

Elizabeth  had  to  be  content  with  that.  She  perceived  that 
for  some  reason  her  brother  did  not  care  to  have  the  matter 
talked  over  in  the  family.  She  knew  they  would  all  guy  him 
about  his  interest  in  a  girl  who  wanted  to  rent  his  barn,  and 
she  felt  herself  that  Shirley  was  too  fine  to  be  talked  about  in 
that  way.  The  family  wouldn't  understand  unless  they  saw  her. 

"  I  know  what  you  mean,  Sid/'  she  said  after  a  thoughtful 
pause.  "  You  want  the  folks  to  see  them  before  they  judge 
what  they  are,  don't  you? " 

"  That's  just  exactly  the  point,"  said  Sidney  with  a  glean 
of  satisfaction  in  his  eyes.  "  That's  just  what  makes  you  such 
a  good  pal,  kid.  You  always  understand." 

The  smile  dawned  again  in  Elizabeth's  «yes,  and  she  patted 
aer  brother's  sleeve. 


86  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Good  old  Sid !  "  she  murmured  tenderly.  "  You're  all 
right.  And  I  just  know  you're  going  to  take  me  out  to  that 
barn  soon.  Aren't  you  going  to  fix  it  up  for  them  a  little? 
They  can't  live  there  that  way.  It  would  be  a  dandy  place  to 
live  if  the  windows  were  bigger  and  there  were  doors  like  a 
house,  and  a  piazza,  and  some  fireplaces.  A  great  big  stone 
fireplace  in  the  middle  there  opposite  that  door!  Wouldn't 
that  be  sweet?  And  they'll  have  to  have  electric  lights  and 
some  bathrooms,  of  course." 

Her  brother  tipped  back  his  head,  and  laughed. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  wouldn't  make  much  of  a  hand  to  live 
in  a  barn,  kid,"  he  said.  "  You're  too  much  of  an  aristocrat. 
How  much  do  you  want  .for  your  money  ?  My  dear,  they  don't 
expect  tiled  bathrooms,  and  electric  lights,  and  inlaid  floors 
when  they  rent  a  barn  for  the  summer." 

"  But  aren't  you  going  to  do  anything,  Sid  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  can't  do  much,  for  Miss  Hollister  would  suspect 
right  away.  She's  very  businesslike,  and  she  has  suspicions 
already  because  I  said  I  was  going  to  put  in  partitions.  She 
isn't  an  object  of  charity,  you  know.  I  imagine  they  are  aU« 
pretty  proud." 

Elizabeth  sat  thoughtful  and  still.  It  was  the  first  time  ID 
her  life  she  had  contemplated  what  it  would  be  to  be  very  poor. 

Her  brother  watched  her  with  interest.  He  had  a  feeling 
that  it  was  going  to  be  very  good  for  Elizabeth  to  know  these 
Hollisters. 

Suddenly  he  brought  the  car  to  a  stop  before  the  office  of  a 
big  lumber-yard  they  were  passing. 

"  I'm  going  in  here,  kid,  for  just  a  minute,  to  see  if  I  caa 
get  a  man  to  put  in  those  partitions." 

Elizabeth  sat  meditatively  studying  the  office  window 
through  whose  large  dusty  panes  could  be  seen  tall  strips  of 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  87 

moulding,  unpainted  window-frames,  and  a  fluted  column  or 
two,  evidently  ready  to  fill  an  order.  The  sign  over  the  door 
«et  forth  that  window-sashes,  doors,  and  blinds  were  to  be  had 
Suddenly  Elizabeth  sat  up  straight  and  read  the  sign  again, 
gtrained  her  eyes  to  see  through  the  window,  and  then  opened 
the  car  door  and  sprang  out.  In  a  moment  more  she  stood 
beside  her  brother,  pointing  mutely  to  a  large  window-frame 
that  stood  against  the  wall. 

"What  is  it,  kid?"  he  asked  kindly. 

"  Sid,  why  can't  you  put  on  great  big  windows  like  that  ? 
They  would  never  notice  the  windows,  you  know.  It  would 
be  so  nice  to  have  plenty  of  light  and  air." 

"  That's  so/'  he  murmured.  "  I  might  change  the  windows 
some  without  its  being  noticed." 

Then  to  the  man  at  the  desk: 

"  What's  the  price  of  that  window  f     Got  any  more  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  man,  looking  up  interested ;  "  got  half  a 
dozen,  made  especially  for  a  party,  and  then  he  wasn't  pleased. 
Claimed  he  ordered  sash-winders  'stead  of  casement.  If  you 
can  use  these  six,  we'll  make  you  a  special  price." 

"Oh,  take  them,  Sid!  They're  perfectly  lovely,"  said 
Elizabeth  eagerly.  "  They're  casement  windows  with  diamond 
panes.  They'll  just  be  so  quaint  and  artistic  in  that  stone ! " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  how  they'll  fit,"  said  the  young  man 
doubtfully.  "  I  don't  want  to  make  it  seem  as  if  I  was  trying 
to  put  on  too  much  style." 

"  No,  Sid,  it  won't  seem  that  way,  really.  I  tell  you  they'll 
never  notice  the  windows  are  bigger,  and  casement  windows 
aren't  like  a  regular  house,  you  know.  See,  they'll  open 
wide  like  doors.  I  think  it  would  be  just  grand ! " 

"All  right,  kid,  we'll  see !  We'll  take  the  man  out  with 
Us;  and,  if  he  says  it  can  be  done,  I'll  take  them."" 


88  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

Elizabeth  was  overjoyed. 

"That's  just  what  it  needed!"  she  declared-  "They 
couldn't  live  in  the  dark  on  rainy  days.  You  must  put  two 
in  the  front  on  each  side  the  door,  and  one  on  each  end. 
The  back  windows  will  do  well  enough." 

"  Well,  come  on,  kid.  Mr.  Jones  is  going  out  with  me  at 
once.  Do  you  want  to  go  with  us,  or  shall  I  call  a  taxi  and 
send  you  home  ?  "  asked  her  brother. 

"  I'm  going  with  you,  of  course,"  said  Elizabeth  eagerly, 
hurrying  out  to  the  car  as  if  she  thought  the  thing  would  be 
done  all  wrong  without  her. 

So  Elizabeth  sat  in  the  back  seat  alone,  while  her  brother 
and  the  contractor  discoursed  on  the  price  of  lumber  and  the 
relative  values  of  wood  and  stone  for  building-purposes,  and 
the  big  car  went  back  over  the  way  it  had  been  before  that 
afternoon. 

They  stopped  on  the  way  out,  and  picked  up  one  of  Mr. 
Jones's  carpenters  who  was  just  leaving  a  job  with  his  kit  of 
tools,  and  who  climbed  stolidly  into  the  back  seat,  and  sat  as 
far  away  from  the  little  blue-velvet  miss  as  possible,  all  the 
while  taking  furtive  notes  to  tell  his  own  little  girl  about 
her  when  he  went  home. 

Elizabeth  climbed  out,  and  went  about  the  barn  with 
them,  listening  to  all  they  had  to  say. 

The  tvo  men  took  out  pencils  and  foot  rules,  and  went 
around  measuring  and  figuring.  Elizabeth  watched  them  with 
bright,  attentive  eyes,  putting  a  whispered  suggestion  now  and 
then  to  her  brother. 

"  They  can't  go  up  and  down  a  ladder  all  the  time,"  she 
whispered.  "There  ought  to  be  some  rough  stairs  with  a 
railing,  at  least  as  good  as  our  back  stairs  at  home." 

"How  about  it?"  said  Graham  aloud  to  the  contractor. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  89 

"Can  you  put  in  some  steps,  just  rough  ones,  to  the  left? 
I'm  going  to  have  a  party  out  here  camping  for  a  while  this 
summer,  and  I  want  it  to  be  safe.  Need  a  railing,  you  know, 
so  nobody  will  get  a  fall." 

The  man.  measured  the  space  up  with  his  eye. 

"  Just  want  plain  steps  framed  up  with  a  hand-rail  ?  "  he 
said,  squinting  up  again.  "  Guess  we  better  start  'em  up  this 
way  to  the  back  wall  and  then  turn  back  from  a  landing. 
That'll  suit  the  overhead  space  best.  Just  pine,  you  want 
'em,  I  s'pose?" 

Elizabeth  stood  like  a  big  blue  bird  alighted  on  the  door- 
sill,  watching  and  listening.  She  was  a  regular  woman,  and 
saw  big  possibilities  in  the  building.  She  would  have  enjoyed 
ordering  parquetry  flooring  and  carved  newel-posts  and  mak- 
ing a  regular  palace. 

The  sun  was  setting  behind  the  purply  hill  and  sending 
a  glint  from  the  weather-vane  on  the  little  white  church  spire 
when  they  started  back  to  the  city.  Elizabeth  looked  wistfully 
toward  it,  and  wondered  about  the  rapt  expression  on  Shirley's 
face  when  she  spoke  of  "  working  "  in  the  church.  How  could 
one  get  any  pleasure  out  of  that  ?  She  meant  to  find  out.  At 
present  her  life  was  rather  monotonous,  and  she  longed  to  have 
some  new  interests. 

That  night  after  she  had  gone  to  her  luxurious  little  couch 
jshe  lay  in  her  downy  nest,  and  tried  to  think  how  it  would  be 
vto  live  in  that  big  barn  and  go  to  sleep  up  in  the  loft,  lying 
on  that  hay.  Then  suddenly  the  mystery  of  life  was  upon 
her  with  its  big  problems.  Why,  for  instance,  was  she  born 
into  the  Graham  family  with  money  and  culture  and  all  the 
good  times,  and  that  sweet,  bright  Carol-girl  born  into  the 
Hollister  family  where  they  had  a  hard  time  to  live  at  all? 


CHAPTEE  IX 

QUITE  early  the  next  morning  Sidney  Graham  was  in  his 
office  at  the  telephone.  He  conferred  with  the  carpenter, 
agreeing  to  meet  him  out  at  the  barn  and  make  final  arrange- 
ments about  the  windows  in  a  very  short  time.  Then  he 
called  up  the  trolley  company  and  the  electric  company,  and 
made  arrangements  with  them  to  have  a  wire  run  from  the 
road  to  his  barn,  with  a  very  satisfactory  agreement  whereby 
he  could  pay  them  a  certain  sum  for  the  use  of  as  much  light 
as  he  needed.  This  done,  he  called  up  an  electrician,  and 
arranged  that  he  should  send  some  men  out  that  morning  to 
wire  the  barn. 

He  hurried  through  his  morning  mail,  giving  his  ste- 
nographer a  free  hand  with  answering  some  of  the  letters, 
and  then  speeded  out  to  Glenside. 

Three  men  were  already  there,  two  of  them  stone-masons, 
working  away  under  the  direction  of  the  contractor.  Thej 
had  already  begun  working  at  the  massive  stone  around  the 
windows,  striking  musical  blows  from  a  light  scaffolding  that 
made  the  old  barn  look  as  if  it  had  suddenly  waked  up  and 
gone  to  house-cleaning.  Sidney  Graham  surveyed  it  with 
satisfaction  as  he  stopped  his  car  by  the  roadside  and  got  out. 
He  did  delight  to  have  things  done  on  time.  He  decided  that 
if  this  contractor  did  well  on  the  job  he  would  see  that  he  got 
bigger  things  to  do.  He  liked  it  that  his  work  had  beeD 
begun  at  once. 

The  next  car  brought  a  quartette  of  carpenters,  and  before 
young  Graham  went  back  to  the  city  a  motor-truck  had 
90 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  91 

arrived  loaded  with  lumber  and  window-frames.  It  was  all 
very  fascinating  to  him,  this  new  toy  barn  that  had  suddenly 
come  into  his  possession,  and  he  could  hardly  tear  himself 
away  from  it  and  go  back  to  business.  One  would  not  have 
supposed,  perhaps,  that  it  was  so  very  necessary  for  him  to 
do  so,  either,  seeing  that  he  was  already  so  well  off  that  he 
really  could  have  gotten  along  quite  comfortably  the  rest  of 
his  life  without  any  more  money;  but  he  was  a  conscientious 
young  man,  who  believed  that  no  living  being  had  a  right  to 
exist  in  idleness,  and  who  had  gone  into  business  from  a 
desire  to  do  his  best  and  keep  up  the  honorable  name  of  his 
father's  firm.  So  after  he  had  given  careful  directions  for 
the  electric  men  when  they  should  come  he  rushed  back  to  his 
office  once  more. 

The  next  two  days  were  filled  with  delightful  novelties. 
He  spent  much  time  flying  from  office  to  barn  and  back  to 
the  office  again,  and  before  evening  of  the  second  day  he  had 
decided  that  a  telephone  in  the  barn  was  an  absolute  necessity^ 
at  least  while  the  work  was  going  on.  So  he  called  up  the 
telephone  company,  and  arranged  that  connection  should  be 
put  in  at  once.  That  evening  he  wrote  a  short  note  \o  Miss 
Shirley  Hollister,  telling  her  that  the  partitions  were  under 
way  and  would  soon  be  completed,  and  that  in  a  few  days  he 
would  send  her  the  key  so  that  she  might  begin  to  transport 
jher  belongings  to  the  new  home. 

The  next  morning,  when  Graham  went  out  to  the  stone 
barn,  he  found  that  the  front  windows  were  in,  and  gave  a 
very  inviting  appearance  to  the  edifice,  both  outside  and  in. 
As  Elizabeth  had  surmised,  the  big  latticed  windows  opening 
inwards  like  casement  doors  seemed  quite  in  keeping  with  the 
rough  stone  structure.  Graham  began  to  wonder  why  all 


92  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

barns  did  not  affect  this  style  of  window,  they  were  so  entirely 
attractive.  He  was  thoroughly  convinced  that  the  new  tenants 
would  not  be  likely  to  remember  or  notice  the  difference  in 
the  windows;  he  was  sure  he  shouldn't  have  unless  his  atten- 
tion had  been  called  to  them  in  some  way.  Of  course  the  sills 
and  sashes  were  rather  new-looking,  but  he  gave  orders  that 
they  should  at  once  be  painted  an  unobtrusive  dark  green 
which  would  well  accord  with  the  mossy  roof,  and  he  trusted 
his  particular  young  tenant  would  not  think  that  he  had 
done  anything  pointed  in  changing  the  windows.  If  she  did, 
he  would  have  to  think  up  some  excuse. 

But,  as  he  stood  at  the  top  of  the  grassy  slope  and  looked 
about,  he  noticed  the  great  pile  of  stones  under  each  window, 
from  the  masonry  that  had  been  torn  away  to  make  room  for 
the  larger  sashes,  and  an  idea  came  to  him. 

"  Mr.  Jones ! "  he  called  to  the  contractor,  who  had  just 
come  over  on  the  car  to  see  how  the  work  was  progressing. 
"  Wouldn't  there  be  stones  enough  all  together  from  all  the 
windows  to  build  some  kind  of  a  rude  chimney  and  fireplace  ?  " 
he  asked. 

Mr.  Jones  thought  there  would.  There  were  stones  enough 
down  in  the  meadow  to  piece  out  with  in  case  they  needed 
more,  anyway.  Where  would  Mr.  Graham  want  the  fire- 
place? Directly  opposite  the  front  doors?  He  had  thought 
of  suggesting  that  himself,  but  didn't  know  as  Mr.  Graham 
wanted  to  go  to  any  more  expense. 

"  By  all  means  make  that  fireplace ! "  said  the  young 
owner  delightedly.  "  This  is  going  to  be  a  jolly  place  when 
it  gets  done,  isn't  it?  I  declare  I  don't  know  but  I'd  like  to 
come  out  here  and  live." 

"  It  would  make  a  fine  old  house,  sir,"  said  the  contractor 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  98 

respectfully,  looking  up  almost  reverently  at  the  barn.  "  I'd 
like  to  see  it  with,  verandys,  and  more  winders,  and  a  few 
such.  You  don't  see  many  of  these  here  old  stone  buildings 
around  now.  They  knew  how  to  build  'em  substantial  in 
those  old  times,  so  they  did." 

"H'm!  Yes.  It  would  make  a  fine  site  for  a  house, 
wouldn't  it?  "  said  the  young  man,  looking  about  thoughtfully. 
"Well,  now,  we'll  have  to  think  about  that  sometime,  per- 
haps. However,  I  think  it  looks  very  nice  for  the  present " ; 
and  he  walked  about,  looking  at  the  improvements  with  great 
satisfaction. 

At  each  end  of  the  barn  a  good  room,  long  and  narrow, 
had  been  partitioned  off,  each  of  which  by  use  of  a  curtain 
would  make  two  very  large  rooms,  and  yet  the  main  section 
of  the  floor  looked  as  large  as  ever.  A  simple  stairway  of 
plain  boards  had  been  constructed  a  little  to  one  side  of  the 
middle  toward  the  back,  going  up  to  the  loft,  which  had  been 
made  safe  for  the  children  by  a  plain  rude  railing  consisting 
of  a  few  uprights  with  strips  across.  The  darkening  slats  at 
the  small  windows  in  the  loft  had  been  torn  away  and  shutters 
substituted  that  would  open  wide  and  let  in  air  and  light 
Kough  spots  in  the  floor  had  been  mended,  and  around  the 
great  place  both  up-stairs  and  down,  and  even  down  in  the 
basement  underneath,  electric  wires  ran  with  simple  lights 
and  switches  conveniently  arranged,  so  that  if  it  became  desir- 
able the  whole  place  could  be  made  a  blaze  of  light.  The 
young  man  did  not  like  to  think  of  this  family  of  unprotected 
women  and  children  coming  out  into  the  country  without  all 
the  arrangements  possible  to  make  them  feel  safe.  For  this 
reason  also  he  had  established  the  telephone.  He  had  talked 
it  over  with  the  agent,  paying  a  certain  sum  for  its  instaila- 


94  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

tion,  and  had  a  telephone  put  in  that  they  could  pay  for 
whenever  they  desired  to  use  it.  This  would  make  the  young 
householder  feel  more  comfortable  about  leaving  her  mother 
out  in  the  country  all  day,  and  also  prevent  her  pride  from 
being  hurt.  The  telephone  was  there.  She  need  not  use  it 
unless  necessity  arose.  He  felt  he  could  explain  that  to  her. 
If  she  didn't  like  it,  of  course  she  could  have  it  taken  away. 

There  were  a  lot  more  things  he  would  like  to  do  to  make 
the  place  more  habitable,  but  he  did  not  dare.  Sometimes 
even  now  his  conscience  troubled  him.  What  did  he  know 
about  these  people,  anyway?  and  what  kind  of  a  flighty  youth 
was  he  becoming  that  he  let  a  strange  girl's  appealing  face 
drive  him  to  such  lengths  as  he  was  going  now?  Telephone, 
and  electric  lights,  and  stairs,  and  a  fireplace  in  a  barn !  It 
was  all  perfectly  preposterous;  and,  if  his  family  should  hear 
of  it,  he  would  never  hear  the  last  of  it ;  that  he  was  certain. 

At  such  times  he  would  hunt  up  his  young  sister  and  cany 
her  off  for  a  long  drive  in  the  car,  always  ending  up  at  Glen- 
side  Road,  where  she  exclaimed  and  praised  to  his  heart's 
satisfaction,  and  gave  anew  her  word  not  to  tell  anybody  a 
thing  about  it  until  he  was  ready. 

Indeed,  Elizabeth  was  wild  with  delight.  She  wanted  to 
hunt  up  some  of  her  mother's  old  Turkish  rugs  that  were 
put  away  in  dark  closets,  to  decorate  the  walls  with  pictures 
and  bric-a-brac  from  her  own  room,  and  to  smother  the  place 
in  flowering  shrubs  for  the  arrival  of  the  tenants;  but  her 
brother  firmly  forbade  anything  more  being  done.  He  waited 
with  fear  and  trembling  for  the  time  when  the  clear-eyed 
young  tenant  should  look  upon  the  changes  he  had  already 
made;  for  something  told  him  she  would  not  stand  charity, 
and  there  was  a  point  beyond  which  he  must  not  go  if  h« 
wished  ever  to  see  her  again. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  95 

At  last  one  morning  he  ventured  to  call  her  up  on  the 
telephone  at  her  office. 

"  My  sister  and  I  were  thinking  of  going  out  to  see  how 
things  are  progressing  at  the  Glenside  place,"  he  said  after 
he  had  explained  who  he  was.  "  I  was  wondering  if  you 
would  care  to  come  along  and  look  things  over.  What  time 
do  you  get  through  at  your  office  this  afternoon?" 

"  That  is  very  kind  of  you,  Mr.  Graham,"  said  Shirley, 
"  but  I'm  afraid  that  won't  be  possible.  I'm  not  usually  done 
until  half-past  five.  I  might  get  through  by  five,  but  not  much 
sooner,  and  that  would  be  too  late  for  you." 

"  Not  at  all,  Miss  Hollister.  That  would  be  a  very  agree- 
able time.  I  have  matters  that  will  keep  me  here  quite  late 
to-night,  and  that  will  be  just  right  for  me.  Shall  I  call  for 
you,  then,  at  five  ?  Or  is  that  too  soon  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no,  I  can  be  ready  by  then,  I'm  sure,"  said  Shirley 
with  suppressed  excitement.  "You  are  very  kind " 

"  Not  at  all.  It  will  be  a  pleasure,"  came  the  answer. 
"  Then  I  will  call  at  your  office  at  five,"  and  the  receiver 
clicked  at  the  other  end,  leaving  Shirley  in  a  whirl  of  doubt 
and  joy. 

How  perfectly  delightful!  And  yet  ought  she  to  go? 
Would  mother  think  it  was  all  right?  His  little  sister  was 
going,  but  was  it  quite  right  for  her  to  accept  this  much 
attention  even  in  a  business  way  ?  It  wasn't  at  all  customary 
or  necessary,  and  both  he  and  she  knew  it.  He  was  just  doing 
it  to  be  nice. 

And  then  there  was  mother.  She  must  send  a  message 
somehow,  or  mother  would  be  frightened  when  she  did  not 
oome  home  at  her  usual  time. 

She  finally  succeeded  in  getting  Carol  at  her  school,  anci 


96  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

told  her  to  tell  mother  she  was  kept  late  and  might  not  be 
home  till  after  seven.  Then  she  flew  at  her  work  to  get  it 
out  of  the  way  before  five  o'clock. 

But,  when  she  came  down  at  the  appointed  time,  she  found 
Carol  sitting  excitedly  in  the  back  seat  with  Elizabeth,  fairly 
bursting  with  the  double  pleasure  of  the  ride  and  of  surprising 
her  sister. 

"  They  came  to  the  school  for  me,  and  took  me  home ;  and 
I  explained  to  mother  that  I  was  going  with  you  to  look  at  a 
place  we  were  going  to  move  to.  I  put  on  the  potatoes,  and 
put  the  meat  in  the  oven,  and  mother  is  going  to  tell  George 
just  what  to  do  to  finish  supper  when  he  gets  home,"  she 
exclaimed  eagerly.  "And,  oh,  isn't  it  lovely  ?  " 

"  Indeed  it  is  lovely/7  said  Shirley,  her  face  flushing  with 
pleasure  and  her  eyes  speaking  gratitude  to  the  young  man 
in  the  front  seat  who  was  opening  the  door  for  her  to  step 
in  beside  him. 

That  was  a  wonderful  ride. 

The  spring  had  made  tremendous  advances  in  her  work 
during  the  ten  days  since  they  went  that  way  before.  The 
flush  of  green  that  the  willows  had  worn  had  become  a  soft, 
bright  feather  of  foliage,  and  the  maples  had  sent  out  crimson 
tassels  to  offset  them.  Down  in  the  meadows  and  along  the 
roadside  the  grass  was  thick  and  green,  and  the  bare  brown 
fields  had  disappeared.  Little  brooks  sang  tinklingly  as  they 
glided  under  bridges,  and  the  birds  darted  here  and  there  in 
busy,  noisy  pairs.  Frail  wavering  blossoms  starred  the  swampy 
places,  and  the  air  was  sweet  with  scents  of  living  things. 

But,  when  they  came  in  sight  of  the  barn,  Elizabeth  and 
her  brother  grew  silent  from  sheer  desire  to  talk  and  not  act 
as  if  there  was  anything  different  about  it.  Now  that  they 


THE  ENCHANTED  BABN  91 

had  actually  brought  Shirley  here,  the  new  windows  seemed 
fairly  to  flaunt  themselves  in  their  shining  mossy  paint  and 
their  vast  extent  of  diamond  panes,  so  that  the  two  con- 
spirators were  deeply  embarrassed,  and  dared  not  face  what 
they  had  done. 

It  was  Carol  who  broke  the  silence  that  had  come  upon 
them  all. 

"  Oh !  Oh !  Oh !  "  she  shouted.  "  Shirley,  just  look !  New, 
great  big  windows !  Isn't  that  great  ?  Now  you  needn't  worry 
whether  it  will  be  dark  for  mother  days  when  she  can't  go 
out !  Isn't  that  the  best  ever?  " 

But  Shirley  looked,  and  her  cheeks  grew  pink  as  her  eyes 
grew  starry.  She  opened  her  lips  to  speak,  und  then  closed 
them  again,  for  the  words  would  not  come,  and  the  tears 
jame  instead;  but  she  drove  them  back,  ard  then  managed 
to  say: 

"  Oh,  Mr,  Graham !  Oh,  you  have  gone  to  so  much 
trouble!" 

"  No,  no  trouble  at  all/'  said  he  almost  crossly ;  for  he  had 
wanted  her  not  to  notice  those  windows,  at  least  not  yet. 

"  You  see  it  was  this  way.  The  windows  were  some  that 
were  left  over  from  another  order,  and  I  got  a  chance  to  get 
them  at  a  bargain.  I  thought  they  might  as  well  be  put  in 
now  as  any  time  and  you  get  the  benefit  of  them.  The  barn 
really  needed  more  light.  It  was  a  very  dark  barn  indeed. 
Hadn't  you  noticed  it?  I  can't  see  how  my  grandfather 
thought  it  would  do  to  have  so  little  light  and  air.  But  you 
know  in  the  old  times  they  didn't  use  to  have  such  advanced 

ideas  about  ventilation  and  germs  and  things "  He  felt 

he  was  getting  on  rather  famously  until  he  looked  down  at 
the  clear  eyes  of  the  girl,  and  knew  she  was  seeing  right 


98  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

straight  through  all  his  talk.  However,  she  hadn't  the  fact 
to  tell  him  so;  and  so  he  boldly  held  on  his  way,  making 
up  fine  stories  about  things  that  barns  needed  until  he  ail 
but  believed  them  himself;  and,  when  he  got  through,  he 
needed  only  to  finish  with  "And,  if  it  isn't  so,  it  ought  to 
be  "  to  have  a  regular  Water-Baby  argument  out  of  it.  He 
managed  to  talk  on  in  this  vein  until  he  could  stop  the  car 
and  help  Shirley  out,  and  together  they  all  went  up  the  now 
velvety  green  of  the  incline  to  the  big  door. 

"  It  is  beautiful !  beautiful  I  "  murmured  Shirley  in  a  daze 
of  delight.  She  could  not  yet  make  it  seem  real  that  she  was 
to  come  to  this  charmed  spot  to  live  in  a  few  days. 

Graham  unlocked  the  big  doors,  and  sent  them  rolling  back 
with  a  touch,  showing  what  ball  bearings  and  careful  work- 
manship can  do.  The  group  stepped  inside,  and  stood  to 
look  again. 

The  setting  sun  was  casting  a  red  glow  through  the  diamond 
panes  and  over  the  wide  floor.  The  new  partitions,  guiltless 
of  paint,  for  Graham  had  not  dared  to  go  further,  were  mel- 
lowed into  ruby  hangings.  The  stone  fireplace  rose  at  the 
opposite  side  of  the  room,  and  the  new  staircase  was  just  at 
the  side,  all  in  the  ruddy  evening  glow  that  carried  rich 
dusky  shadows  into  the  corners,  and  hung  a  curtain  of  vague- 
ness over  blemishes. 

Then  all  suddenly,  before  they  had  had  time  to  take  in 
,  the  changes,  more  than  the  fact  of  the  partitions  which  they 
expected,  Graham  stepped  to  the  side  of  the  door,  and  touched 
a  button,  and  behold  a  myriad  of  lights  burst  forth  about  the 
place,  making  it  bright  like  noontime. 

"  Oh !  Oh !  Oh ! "  breathed  Carol  in  awe  and  wonder,  and 
"Oh!"  again,  as  if  there  were  nothing  else  to  say.  But 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  9* 

Shirley  only  looked  and  caught  her  breath.  It  seemed  a 
palace  too  fine  for  their  poor  little  means,  and  a  sudden  fear 
gripped  hold  upon  her. 

"Oh  Mr.  Graham!  You  have  done  too  much!"  she 
choked.  "  You  shouldn't  have  done  it !  We  can  never  afford 
to  pay  for  all  this ! " 

"  Not  at  all  1 "  said  young  Graham  quickly.  "  This  isn't 
anything.  The  electric  people  gave  permission  for  this,  and 
I  thought  it  would  be  safer  than  lamps  and  candles,  you  know. 
It  cost  scarcely  anything  for  the  wiring.  I  had  our  regular 
man  do  it  that  attends  to  the  wiring  and  lights  at  the  office. 
It  was  a  mere  trifle,  and  will  make  things  a  lot  more  con 
venient  for  you.  You  see  it's  nothing  to  the  company.  They 
just  gave  permission  for  a  wire  to  be  run  from  the  pole  there. 
Of  course  they  might  not  do  it  for  every  one,  but  I've  some 
pretty  good  friends  in  the  company;  so  it's  all  right." 

"  But  the  fireplace ! "  said  Shirley,  going  over  to  look  at 
it.  "It's  beautiful!  It's  like  what  you  see  in  magazine 
pictures  of  beautiful  houses." 

"  Why,  it  was  just  the  stones  that  were  left  from  cutting 
the  windows  larger.  I  thought  they  might  as  well  be  utilized, 
you  know.  It  wasn't  much  more  work  to  pile  them  up  that 
way  while  the  men  were  here  than  if  we  had  had  them  carted 
away." 

Here  Carol  interrupted. 

"  Shirley !    There's  a  telephone !    A  real  telephone ! " 

Shirley's  accusing  eyes  were  upon  her  landlord. 

"It  was  put  in  for  our  convenience  while  the  workmen 
were  here/'  he  explained  defensively.  "It  is  a  pay  phone, 
you  see,  and  is  no  expense  except  when  in  use.  It  can  be 
taken  out  if  you  do  not  care  to  have  it,  of  course;  but  It 


100  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

occurred  to  me  since  it  was  here  your  mother  might  feel  more 
comfortable  out  here  all  day  if  she  could  call  you  when  she 
needed  to." 

Shirley's  face  was  a  picture  of  varying  emotions  as  she 
listened,  but  relief  and  gratitude  conquered  as  she  turned 
to  him. 

"  I  believe  you  have  thought  of  everything/'  she  said  at 
last.  "  I  have  worried  about  that  all  this  week.  I  have  won- 
dered if  mother  would  be  afraid  out  in  the  country  with  only 
the  children,  and  the  neighbors  not  quite  near  enough  to  call ; 
but  this  solves  the  difficulty.  You  are  sure  it  hasn't  cost  you  a 
lot  to  have  this  put  in  ?  " 

"  Why,  don't  you  know  the  telephone  company  is  glad  to 
have  their  phones  wherever  they  can  get  them  ?  "  he  evaded. 
"  Now,  don't  worry  about  anything  more.  You'll  find  hard- 
ships enough  living  in  a  barn  without  fretting  about  the  few 
conveniences  we  have  been  ablo  to  manage." 

"  But  this  is  real  luxury ! "  she  said,  sitting  down  on  the 
steps  and  looking  up  where  the  lights  blazed  from  the  loft. 
"  You  have  put  lights  up  there,  too,  and  a  railing.  I  was  so 
afraid  Doris  would  fall  down  some  time ! " 

"  I'm  glad  to  find  you  are  human,  after  all,  and  have  a  few 
fears ! "  declared  the  owner,  laughing.  <f  I  had  begun  to 
think  you  were  Spartan  through  and  through  and  weren't 
afraid  of  anything.  Yes,  I  had  the  men  put  what  lumber 
they  had  left  into  that  railing.  I  thought  it  wasn't  safe  to 
have  it  all  open  like  that,  and  I  didn't  want  you  to  sue  me 
for  life  or  limb,  you  know.  There's  one  thing  I  haven't 
managed  yet,  and  that  is  piping  water  up  from  the  spring.  I 
haven't  been  able  to  get  hold  of  the  right  man  so  far ;  but  he's 
coming  out  to-morrow,  and  I  hope  it  can  be  done.  There  is  r, 
spring  on  the  hill  back  of  us,  and  I  believe  it  is  high  enough, 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  101 

to  get  the  water  to  this  floor.  If  it  is  it  will  make  your  work 
much  easier  and  be  only  the  matter  of  a  few  rods  of  pipe." 

"  Oh,  but,  indeed,  you  mustn't  do  anything  more !  "  pleaded 
Shirley.  "  I  shall  feel  so  ashamed  paying  such  a  little  rent." 

:*But,  my  dear  young  lady,"  said  Graham  in  his  most 
dignified  business  manner,  "  you  don't  at  all  realize  how  much 
lower  rents  are  in  the  country,  isolated  like  this,  than  they  are 
in  the  city ;  and  you  haven't  as  yet  realized  what  a  lot  of  incon- 
veniences you  have  to  put  up  with.  When  you  go  back  to  the 
city  in  the  winter,  you  will  be  glad  to  get  away  from  here." 

"  Never !  "  said  Shirley  fervently,  and  shuddered.  "  Oh, 
never !  You  don't  know  how  dreadful  it  seems  that  we  shall 
have  to  go  back.  But  of  course  I  suppose  we  shall.  One 
couldn't  live  in  a  barn  in  the  winter,  even  though  it  is  a 
palace  for  the  summer";  and  she  looked  about  wistfully. 
Then,  her  eyes  lighting  up,  she  said  in  a  low  tone,  for  the 
young  man's  benefit  alone: 

"  I  think  God  must  have  made  you  do  all  this  for  us !  * 
She  turned  and  walked  swiftly  over  to  one  of  the  new  casement 
windows,  looking  out  at  the  red  glow  that  the  sun  in  sinking 
had  left  in  the  sky ;  and  there  against  the  fringes  of  the  willowa 
and  maples  shone  out  the  bright  weather-vane  on  the  spire  of 
the  little  white  church  in  the  valley. 

"I  think  God  must  have  sent  you  to  teach  me  and  my 
tattle  sister  a  few  things,"  said  a  low  voice  just  behind  Shirley 
as  she  struggled  with  tired,  happy  tears  that  would  blur  her 
eyes.  But,  when  she  turned  to  smile  at  the  owner  of  the 
voice,  he  was  walking  over  by  the  door  and  talking  to  Carol. 
They  tumbled  joyously  into  the  car  very  soon,  and  sped  on 
their  way  to  the  city  again. 

That  night  the  Hollister  children  told  their  mother  they 
had  found  a  place  in  which  to  live. 


CHAPTER  X 

THE  crisis  was  precipitated  by  Shirley's  finding  her  moth«F 
crying  when  she  came  up  softly  to  see  her. 

"Now,  little  mother,  dear!  What  can  be  the  matter?" 
she  cried  aghast,  sitting  down  on  the  bed  and  drawing  her 
mother's  head  into  her  lap. 

But  it  was  some  time  before  Mrs.  Hollister  could  recover 
her  calmness,  and  Shirley  began  to  be  frightened.  At  last, 
when  she  had  kissed  and  petted  her,  she  called  down  to  tho 
others  to  come  up-stairs  quickly. 

They  came  with  all  haste,  George  and  Harley  with  dish- 
towels  over  their  shoulders,  Carol  with  her  arithmetic  and 
pencil,  little  Doris  trudging  up  breathless,  one  step  at  a  time, 
and  all  crying  excitedly,  "What's  the  matter?" 

"Why,  here's  our  blessed  little  mother  lying  here  all  by 
herself,  crying  because  she  doesn't  know  where  in  the  world 
we  can  find  a  house !  "  cried  Shirley ;  "  and  I  think  it's  time  we 
told  our  beautiful  secret,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  chorused  the  children,  although  Harley  and  Doris 
had  no  idea  until  then  that  there  was  any  beautiful  secret. 
Beautiful  secrets  hadn't  been  coming  their  way. 
|  "  Well,  I  think  we  better  tell  it,"  said  Shirley,  looking  at 
George  and  Carol  questioningly.  "  Don't  you  ?  We  don't  want 
mother  worrying."  So  they  all  clustered  around  her  on  the 
bed  and  the  floor,  and  sat  expectantly  while  Shirley  told. 

"You  see,  mother,  it's  this  way.     We've  been  looking 
around  a  good  deal  lately,  George  and  I,  and  we  haven't 
found  a  thing  in  the  city  that  would  do;  so  one  day  I  took 
102 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  103 

a  trolley  ride  out  of  the  city,  and  I've  found  something  I 
think  will  do  nicely  for  the  summer,  anyway,  and  that  will 
give  us  time  to  look  around  and  decide.  Mother  dear,  would 
you  mind  camping  so  very  much  if  we  made  you  a  nice, 
comfortable  place?" 

"  Camping !  "  said  Mrs.  Hollister  in  dismay.  "  Doar  child  1 
In  a  tent?" 

"  No,  mother,  not  in  a  tent.  There's  a — a — sort  of  a 
house — that  is,  there's  a  building,  where  we  could  sleep,  and 
put  our  furniture,  and  all;  but  there's  a  lovely  out-of-doors. 
Wouldn't  you  like  that,  for  Doris  and  you  ?  " 

"Oh,  yes,"  sighed  the  poor  woman;  "I'd  like  it;  but, 
child,  you  haven't  an  idea  what  you  are  talking  about.  Any 
place  in  the  country  costs  terribly,  even  a  shanty " 

"  That's  it,  mother,  call  it  a  shanty ! "  put  in  Carol. 
"  Mother,  would  you  object  to  living  in  a  shanty  all  summer 
if  it  was  good  and  clean,  and  you  had  plenty  of  out-of-doors 
around  it  ?  " 

"  No,  of  course  not,  Carol,  if  it  was  perfectly  respectable. 
I  shouldn't  want  to  take  my  children  among  a  lot  of  low- 
down  people " 

"  Of  course  not,  mother !  "  put  in  Shirley.  "And  there's 
nothing  of  that  sort.  It's  all  perfectly  respectable,  and  the 
few  neighbors  are  nice,  respectable  people.  Now,  mother,  if 
you're  willing  to  trust  us,  we'd  like  it  if  you'll  just  let  us 
leave  it  at  that  and  not  tell  you  anything  more  about  it  till  we 
take  you  there.  George  and  <~!arol  and  I  have  all  seen  the 
place,  and  we  think  it  will  be  just  the  thing.  There's  plenty  of 
room,  and  sky,  and  a  big  tree,  and  birds;  and  it  only  costs 
ten  dollars  a  month.  Now,  mother,  will  you  trust  us  for  the 
rest  and  not  ask  any  questions  ?  " 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

The  mother  looked  in  bewilderment  from  one  to  another, 
and,  seeing  their  eager  faces,  she  broke  into  a  weary  smile, 

"Well,  I  suppose  I'll  have  to,"  she  said  with  a  sigh  of 
doubt ;  "  but  I  can't  understand  how  any  place  you  could  get 
would  be  only  that  price,  and  I'm  afraid  you  haven't  thought 
of  a  lot  of  things." 

"Yes,  mother,  we've  thought  of  everything — and  then 
some,"  said  Shirley,  stooping  down  to  kiss  the  thir  cheek; 
u  but  we  are  sure  you  are  going  to  like  this  when  you  see  it 
It  isn't  a  palace,  of  course.  You  don't  expect  plate-glass 
windows,  you  know." 

"  Well,  hardly,"  said  Mrs.  Hollister  dryly,  struggling  with 
herself  to  be  cheerful.  She  could  see  that  her  children  were 
making  a  brave  effort  to  make  a  jolly  occasion  out  of  their 
necessity,  and  she  was  never  one  to  hang  back ;  so,  as  she  could 
do  nothing  else,  she  assented. 

"You  are  sure,"  she  began,  looking  at  Shirley  with 
troubled  eyes.  "  There  are  so  many  things  to  think  of,  and 
you  are  so  young." 

"Trust  me,  mudder  dearie,"  said  Shirley  joyously,  re- 
membering the  fireplace  and  the  electric  lights.  "  It  really 
isn't  so  bad ;  and  there's  a  beautiful  hill  for  Doris  to  run  down, 
and  a  place  to  hang  a  hammock  for  you  right  under  a  big 
tree  where  a  bird  has  built  its  nest." 

"  Oh-h ! "  echoed  the  wondering  Doris.  "And  coula  I  see 
de  birdie?" 

"  Yes,  darling,  you  can  waUih  him  every  day,  and  see  him 
fly  through  the  blue  sky." 

"If s  all  right,  mother,"  said  George  in  a  businesslike 
tone.  "You'll  think  it's  great  after  you  get  used  to  it 
Carol  and  I  are  crazy  over  it" 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  105 

**But  will  it  be  where  you  can  get  to  your  work,  both  of 
yon?  I  shouldn't  like  you  to  take  long,  lonely  walks,  you 
know/'  said  the  troubled  mother. 

"Right  on  the  trolley  line,  mother  dear;  and  the  differ- 
ence in  rent  will  more  than  pay  our  fare." 

"Besides,  I'm  thinking  of  buying  a  bicycle  from  one  of 
the  fellows.  He  says  he'll  sell  it  for  five  dollars,  and  I  can 
pay  fifty  cents  a  month.  Then  I  could  go  in  on  my  bike  in 
good  weather,  and  save  that  much."  This  from  George. 

"  Oh,  gee !  "  said  Harley  breathlessly.  "  Then  I  could  ride 
it  sometimes,  too." 

"  Sure !  "  said  George  generously. 

"Now,"  said  Shirley  with  her  commanding  manner  that 
the  children  called  "brigadier-general,"  "now,  mother  dear, 
you're  going  to  put  all  your  worries  out  of  your  head  right 
this  minute,  and  go  to  sleep.  Your  business  is  ta  get  strong 
enough  to  be  moved  out  there.  When  you  get  there,  you'll 
get  well  so  quick  you  won't  know  yourself ;  but  you've  got  to 
rest  from  now  on  every  minute,  or  you  won't  be  able  to  go 
when  the  time  comes ;  and  then  what  will  happen  ?  Will  you 
promise  ?  " 

Amid  the  laughing  and  pleading  of  her  children  the  mother 
promised,  half  smilingly,  half  tearfully,  and  succumbed  to 
being  prepared  for  the  night.  Then  they  all  tiptoed  away  to 
the  dining-room  for  a  council  of  war. 

It  was  still  two  weeks  before  they  had  to  vacate  the  little 
brick  house,  plenty  of  time  to  get  comfortably  settled  before 
they  took  their  mother  out  there. 

It  was  decided  that  George  and  Shirley  should  go  out  the 
next  evening  directly  from  their  work,  not  waiting  to  return 
for  supper,  but  eating  a  lunch  down-town.  Now  that  the  place 


106  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

was  lighted  and  they  had  been  told  to  use  the  light  as  freely 
as  they  chose,  with  no  charge,  the  question  of  getting  settled 
was  no  longer  a  problem.  They  could  do  it  evenings  after 
their  work  was  over.  The  first  thing  would  be  to  clean  house, 
and  for  that  they  needed  a  lot  of  things,  pails,  pans,  brooms, 
mops  and  the  like.  It  would  be  good  to  take  a  load  of  things 
out  the  next  day  if  possible. 

So  George  went  out  to  interview  the  man  with  the  moving" 
wagon,  while  Shirley  and  Carol  made  out  a  list  of  things 
that  ought  to  go  in  that  first  load.  George  came  back  with  the 
report  that  the  man  could  come  at  half  past  four  in  the 
afternoon ;  and,  if  they  could  iiave  the  things  that  were  to  go 
all  ready,  he  would  have  his  son  help  to  load  them,  and  they 
could  get  out  to  Glenside  by  six  o'clock  or  seven  at  the  latest. 
Harley  might  go  along  if  he  liked,  and  help  to  unload  at  the 
other  end. 

Harley  was  greatly  excited  both  at  the  responsibility 
placed  upon  him  and  at  the  prospect  of  seeing  the  new  home. 
It  almost  made  up  for  the  thought  of  leaving  "  the  fellows  " 
and  going  to  live  in  a  strange  place. 

The  young  people  were  late  getting  to  bed  that  night,  for 
they  had  to  get  things  together  so  that  Carol  would  not  have 
her  hands  too  full  the  next  day  when  she  got  home  from 
school.  Then  they  had  to  hunt  up  soap,  scrubbing-pails,  rags, 
brushes  and  brooms ;  and,  when  they  went  to  bed  at  last,  they 
were  much  too  excited  to  sleep. 

Of  course  there  were  many  hindrances  to  their  plans,  and 
a  lot  of  delay  waiting  for  the  cartman,  who  did  not  always 
keep  his  word;  but  the  days  passed,  and  every  one  saw  some 
little  progress  toward  making  a  home  out  of  the  big  barn. 
Shirley  would  not  let  them  stay  later  in  the  evenings  than 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  1C* 

ten  o'clock,  for  they  must  be  ready  to  go  to  work  the  next1 
morning ;  so  of  course  the  work  of  cleaning  the  barn  progressed 
but  slowly.  After  the  first  night  they  got  a  neighbor  to  sit 
with  their  mother  and  Doris,  letting  Carol  and  Harley  come 
out  on  the  car  to  help;  and  so  with  four  willing  workers  the 
barn  gradually  took  on  a  nice  smell  of  soap  and  water. 

The  old  furniture  arrived  little  by  little,  and  was  put  in 
place  eagerly,  until  by  the  end  of  the  first  week  the  big  middle 
room  and  the  dining-room  and  kitchen  began  really  to  look 
like  living. 

It  was  Saturday  evening  of  that  first  week,  and  Shirley 
was  sitting  on  the  old  couoh  at  the  side  of  the  fireplace,  resting, 
watching  George,  who  was  reeling  out  a  stormy  version  of 
chopsticks  on  the  piano,  and  looking  about  on  her  growing 
home  hopefully.  Suddenly  there  came  a  gentle  tapping  at 
the  big  barn  door,  and  George  as  the  man  of  the  house  went 
to  the  door  with  his  gruffest  air  on,  but  melted  at  once  whea 
he  saw  the  landlord  and  his  sister  standing  out  in  front  IB 
the  moonlight. 

"Are  you  ready  for  callers  ?  "  asked  Graham,  taking  off  hia 
hat  in  greeting.  "  Elizabeth  and  I  took  a  spin  out  this  way, 
and  we  sighted  the  light,  and  thought  we'd  stop  and  see  if  wf 
could  help  any.  My,  how  homelike  you've  made  it  look !  Say, 
this  is  great !  " 

Sidney  Graham  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  big  room,  looking 
».bout  him  with  pleasure. 

The  young  people  had  put  things  in  apple-pie  order  as 
far  as  they  had  gone.  A  fire  was  laid  in  the  big  stone  fire- 
place, all  ready  for  touching  off,  and  gave  a  homelike,  cleared- 
up  look  to  the  whole  place  as  if  it  were  getting  ready  for  somn 
event.  On  each  side  of  the  chimney  stood  a  simple  set  of  book* 


108  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

shelves  filled  with  well-worn  volumes  that  had  a  look  of  being 
beloved  and  in  daily  intimate  association  with  the  family.  On 
the  top  of  the  shelves  Carol  had  placed  some  bits  of  bric-a-brac, 
and  in  the  centre  of  each  a  tall  vase.  Beside  them  were  a  few 
photographs  in  simple  frames,  a  strong-faced  man  with  eyes 
that  reminded  one  of  Shirley  and  a  brow  like  George's;  a 
delicate-featured,  refined  woman  with  sweet,  sensitive  mouth 
and  eyes  like  Carol's;  a  lovely  little  child  with  a  cloud  of 
fair  curls. 

The  old  couch  was  at  one  side  of  the  fireplace,  at  a  con- 
venient angle  to  watch  the  firelight,  and  yet  not  hiding  the 
bookshelves.  On  the  other  side,  with  its  back  toward  the  first 
landing  of  the  rude  staircase,  stood  an  old  upright  piano 
with  a  pile  of  shabby  music  on  the  top  and  a  book  of  songs 
open  on  the  rack.  On  the  floor  in  the  space  between  was 
spread  a  worn  and  faded  ingrain  rug,  its  original  colors  and 
pattern  long  since  blended  into  neutral  grays  and  browns, 
which  strangely  harmonized  with  the  rustic  surroundings.  A 
few  comfortable  but  shabby  chairs  were  scattered  about  in  a 
homelike  way,  and  a  few  pictures  in  plain  frames  were  hung 
on  the  clean  new  partitions.  Under  one  stood  a  small  oak 
desk  and  a  few  writing-materials.  A  little  further  on  a  plain 
library  table  held  a  few  magazines  and  papers  and  a  cherished 
book  or  two.  There  had  been  no  attempt  to  cover  the  wide 
bare  floor  spaces,  save  by  a  small  dingy  rug  or  two  or  a  strip 
of  carpet  carefully  brushed  and  flung  here  and  there  in  front 
of  a  chair.  There  was  no  pretension  and  therefore  no  incon- 
gruity. The  only  luxurious  thing  in  the  place  was  the  bright 
electric  light,  and  yet  it  all  looked  pleasant  and  inviting. 

"  Say,  now,  this  is  great ! "  reiterated  the  young  owner  ol 
the  place,  sinking  into  the  nearest  chair  and  looking  about 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  109 

him  with  admiration.  "  Who  would  ever  have  imagined  you 
could  make  a  barn  look  like  this?  Why,  you're  a  genius, 
Miss  Hollister.  You're  a  real  artist." 

Shirley  in  an  old  gingham  dress,  with  her  sleeves  rolled 
high  and  her  hair  fluffing  wilfully  in  disorder  about  her  hot 
cheeks,  stood  before  him  in  dismay.  She  had  been  working 
hard,  and  was  all  too  conscious  of  the  brief  time  before  they 
must  be  done ;  and  to  have  company  just  now — and  such  com- 
pany— put  her  to  confusion ;  but  the  honest  admiration  in  the 
young  man's  voice  did  much  to  restore  her  equilibrium.  She 
began  to  pull  down  her  sleeves  and  sit  down  to  receive  her 
callers  properly;  but  he  at  once  insisted  that  she  should  not 
delay  on  his  account,  and,  seeing  her  shyness,  immediately 
plunged  into  some  questions  about  the  water-pipes,  which 
brought  about  a  more  businesslike  footing  and  relieved  her 
embarrassment.  He  was  soon  on  his  way  to  the  partitioned 
corner  which  was  to  be  the  kitchen,  telling  Shirley  how  it  was 
going  to  be  no  trouble  to  run  a  pipe  from  the  spring  and  have 
a  faucet  put  in,  and  that  it  should  be  done  on  the  morrow, 
Then  he  called  to  Elizabeth. 

"  Kid,  what  did  you  do  with  those  eats  you  brought  along  ? 
I  think  it  would  be  a  good  time  to  hand  them  out.  I'm 
hungry.  Suppose  you  take  George  out  to  the  car  to  help  you 
bring  them  in,  and  let's  have  a  picnic ! " 

Then,  turning  to  Shirley,  he  explained: 

"  Elizabeth  and  I  are  great  ones  to  have  something  along 
to  eat.  It  makes  one  hungry  to  ride,  you  know." 

The  children  needed  no  second  word,  but  all  hurried  out 
to  the  car,  and  came  back  with  a  great  bag  of  most  deliciouu 
oranges  and  several  boxes  of  fancy  cakes  and  crackers;  and 
they  all  sat  down  to  enjoy  them,  laughing  and  chattering^ 
opt  at  all  like  landlord  and  tenants. 


110  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Now  what's  to  do  next?  "  demanded  the  landlord  as  soon 
as  the  repast  was  finished.  "  I'm  going  to  help.  We're  not 
here  to  hinder,  and  we  must  make  up  for  the  time  we  have 
stopped  you.  What  were  you  and  George  doing,  Miss  Carol, 
when  we  arrived  r  " 

"Unpacking  dishes,"  giggled  Carol,  looking  askance  at 
the  frowning  Shirley,  who  was  shaking  her  head  at  Carol 
behind  Graham's  back.  Shirley  had  no  mind  to  have  the 
elegant  landlord  see  the  dismal  state  of  the  Hollister  crockery. 
But  the  young  man  was  not  to  be  so  easily  put  off,  and  to 
Carol's  secret  delight  insisted  upon  helping  despite  Shirley's 
most  earnest  protests  that  it  was  not  necessary  to  do  anything 
more  that  evening.  He  and  Elizabeth  repaired  to  the  dining- 
room  end  of  the  barn,  and  helped  unpack  dishes,  pana^  kettles, 
knives,  and  forks,  and  arrange  them  on  the  shelves  that  George 
had  improvised  out  of  a  large  old  bookcase  that  used  to  be  hia 
father's.  After  all,  there  was  something  in  good  breeding, 
thought  Shirley,  for  from  the  way  in  which  Mr.  Graham 
handled  the  old  cracked  dishes,  and  set  them  up  so  nicely,  you 
never  would  have  known  but  they  were  Haviland  china.  He 
never  seemed  to  see  them  at  all  when  they  were  cracked.  One 
might  have  thought  he  had  been  a  member  of  the  family  for 
years,  he  made  things  seem  so  nice  and  comfortable  and 
sociable. 

Merrily  they  worked,  and  accomplished  wonders  that  night, 
for  Shirley  let  them  stay  until  nearly  eleven  o'clock  "  just  for 
once  " ;  and  then  they  all  piled  into  the  car,  Shirley  and  Carol 
and  Elizabeth  in  the  back  seat,  George  and  the  happy  Harley 
with  Graham  in  the  front.  If  there  had  been  seven  more  of 
them,  they  would  have  all  happily  squeezed  in.  The  young 
Hollisters  were  having  the  time  of  their  lives,  and  as  for  the 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  111 

Grahams  it  wasn't  quite  certain  but  that  they  were  also.  Cer- 
tainly society  had  never  seen  on  Sidney  Graham's  face  that 
happy,  enthusiastic  look  of  intense  satisfaction  that  the  moon 
looked  down  upon  that  night.  And,  after  all,  they  got  home 
almost  as  soon  as  if  they  had  gone  on  the  ten-o'clock  trolley. 

After  that  on  one  pretext  or  another  those  Grahams  were 
always  dropping  in  on  the  Hollisters  at  their  work  and  man- 
aging to  "help,"  and  presently  even  Shirley  ceased  to  be 
annoyed  or  to  apologize. 

The  east  end  of  the  barn  had  been  selected  for  bedrooms. 
A  pair  of  cretonne  curtains  was  stretched  across  the  long,  nar- 
row room  from  wall  to  partition,  leaving  the  front  room  for 
their  mother's  bed  and  Doris's  crib,  and  the  back  room  for 
Shirley  and  Carol.  The  boys  had  taken  possession  of  the  loft 
with  many  shouts  and  elaborate  preparations,  and  had  spread 
out  their  treasures  with  deep  delight,  knowing  that  at  last 
there  was  room  enough  for  their  proper  display  and  they  need 
feel  no  fear  that  they  would  be  thrown  out  because  their  place 
was  wanted  for  something  more  necessary.  Little  by  little  the 
Hollisters  were  getting  settled.  It  was  not  so  hard,  after  all, 
because  there  was  that  glorious  big  "  attic  "  in  which  to  put 
away  things  that  were  not  needed  below,  and  there  was  the 
whole  basement  for  tubs  and  things,  and  a  lovely  faucet  down 
there,  too,  so  that  a  lot  of  work  could  be  done  below  the  living- 
floor.  It  seemed  just  ideal  to  the  girls,  who  had  been  for 
several  years  accustomed  to  the  cramcod  quarters  of  a  tiny  city 
house. 

At  last  even  the  beds  were  made  up,  and  everything  had 
been  moved  but  the  bed  and  a  few  necessities  in  their  mother's 
room,  which  were  to  come  the  next  day  while  they  were  moving 
their  mother. 


112  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

That  moving  of  mother  had  been  a  great  problem  to  Shirley 
until  Graham  anticipated  her  necessity,  and  said  in  a  matter- 
of-fact  way  that  he  hoped  Mrs.  Hollister  would  let  him  take 
her  to  her  new  home  in  his  car.  Then  Shirley's  eyes  filled 
with  tears  of  gratitude.  She  knew  her  mother  was  not  yet 
able  to  travel  comfortably  in  a  trolley-car,  and  the  price  of  a 
taxicab  was  more  than  she  felt  they  ought  to  afford;  yet  in  her 
secret  heart  she  had  been  intending  to  get  one;  but  now  there 
would  be  no  necessity. 

Shirley's  words  of  gratitude  were  few  and  simple,  but  there 
was  something  in  her  eyes  as  she  lifted  them  to  Graham's 
face  that  made  a  glow  in  his  heart  and  fully  repaid  him  for 
his  trouble. 

The  last  thing  they  did  when  they  left  the  barn  that  night 
before  they  were  coming  to  stay  was  to  set  the  table,  and  it 
really  looked  very  cozy  and  inviting  with  a  white  cloth  on  it 
and  the  dishes  set  out  to  look  their  best.  Shirley  looked  back 
at  it  with  a  sweeping  glance  that  took  in  the  great,  com- 
fortable living-room,  the  open  door  into  the  dining-room  on 
one  hand  and  the  vista  of  a  white  bed  on  the  other  side 
through  the  bedroom  door.  She  smiled  happily,  and  then 
switched  off  the  electric  light,  and  stepped  out  into  the  sweet 
spring  night.  Graham,  who  had  stood  watching  her  as  one 
might  watch  the  opening  of  some  strange,  unknown  flower, 
closed  and  locked  the  door  behind  them,  and  followed  her 
down  the  grassy  slope  to  the  car. 

"  Do  you  know,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  it's  been  a  great  thing 
to  me  to  watch  you  make  a  real  home  out  of  this  bare  barn? 
It's  wonderful!  It's  like  a  miracle.  I  wouldn't  have  believed 
it  could  be  done.  And  you  have  done  it  so  wonderfully!  I 
can  just  see  what  kind  of  a  delightful  home  it  is  going  to  be." 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

There  was  something  in  his  tone  that  made  Shirley  forget 
he  was  rich  and  a  stranger  and  her  landlord.  She  lifted  her 
face  to  the  stars,  and  spoke  her  thoughts. 

"  You  can't  possibly  know  how  much  like  heaven  it  is  going 
to  be  to  us  after  coming  from  that  other  awful  little  house/4 
she  said ;  te  and  you  are  the  one  who  has  made  it  possible.  If 
it  hadn't  been  for  you  I  know  I  never  could  have  done  it/' 

"  Oh,  nonsense,  Miss  Hollister !  You  mustn't  think  of  it, 
I  haven't  done  anything  at  all,  just  the  simplest  things  that 
were  absolutely  necessary." 

"  Oh,  I  understand,"  said  Shirley ;  "  and  I  can't  ever  re- 
pay you,  but  I  think  God  will.  That  is  the  kind  of  thing  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  made  of." 

"  Oh,  really,  now,"  said  Graham,  deeply  embarrassed ;  he 
was  not  much  accustomed  to  being  connected  with  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  in  any  way.  "  Oh,  really,  you — you  over- 
estimate it.  And  as  for  pay,  I  don't  ask  any  better  than  the 
fun  my  sister  and  I  have  had  helping  you  get  settled.  It  has 
been  a  great  play  for  us.  We  never  really  moved,  you  see. 
We've  always  gone  off  and  had  some  one  do  it  for  us.  I've 
learned  a  lot  since  I've  known  you." 

That  night  as  she  prepared  to  lie  down  on  the  mattress  and 
blanket  that  had  been  left  behind  for  herself  and  Carol  to 
camp  out  on,  Shirley  remembered  her  first  worries  about 
Mr.  Graham,  and  wondered  whether  it  could  be  possible  that 
he  thought  she  had  been  forward  in  any  way,  and  what  her 
mother  would  think  when  she  heard  the  whole  story  of  the 
new  landlord;  for  up  to  this  time  the  secret  had  been  beau- 
tifully kept  from  mother,  all  the  children  joining  to  dap 
their  hands  over  wayward  mouths  that  started  to  utter  tell- 
tale sentences,  and  the  mystery  grew,  and  became  almost  like 


114  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

Christmas-time  for  little  Doris  and  her  mother.  It  must, 
however,  be  stated  that  Mrs.  Hollister,  that  last  night,  as  she 
lay  wakeful  on  her  bed  in  the  little  bare  room  in  the  tiny 
house,  had  many  misgivings,  and  wondered  whether  per- 
chance she  would  not  be  sighing  to  be  back  even  here  twenty- 
four  hours  later.  She  was  holding  her  peace  wonderfully, 
because  there  really  was  nothing  she  could  do  about  it  even 
if  she  was  going  out  of  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire;  but  the 
tumult  and  worry  in  her  heart  had  been  by  no  means  bliss. 
So  the  midnight  drew  on,  and  the  weary  family  slept  for  the 
last  night  in  the  cramped  old  house  where  they  had  lived  since 
trouble  and  poverty  had  come  upon  them. 


CHAPTER  XI 

SHIRLEY  was  awake  early  that  morning,  almost  too  excited 
to  sleep  but  fitfully  even  through  the  night.  Now  that  the 
thing  was  done  and  they  were  actually  moved  into  a  barn  she 
began  to  have  all  sorts  of  fears  and  compunctions  concerning 
it.  She  seemed  to  see  her  delicate  mother  shrink  as  from  a 
blow  when  she  first  learned  that  they  had  come  to  this.  Try 
«us  she  would  to  bring  back  all  the  sensible  philosophy  that  had 
eaused  her  to  enter  into  this  affair  in  the  first  place,  she 
simply  could  not  feel  anything  but  trouble.  She  longed  to 
rush  into  her  mother's  room,  tell  her  all  about  it,  and  get  the 
dreaded  episode  over.  But  anyhow  it  was  inevitable  now. 
They  were  moved.  They  had  barely  enough  money  to  pay 
the  cartage  and  get  things  started  before  next  pay-day.  There 
was  nothing  for  it  but  to  take  her  mother  there,  even  if  she 
did  shrink  from  the  idea. 

Of  course  mother  always  had  been  sensible,  and  all  that; 
but  somehow  the  burden  of  the  great  responsibility  of  decision 
rested  so  heavily  upon  her  young  shoulders  that  morning  that 
it  seemed  as  if  she  could  not  longer  bear  the  strain. 

They  still  had  a  good  fire  in  the  kitchen  range,  and  Shirley 
hastened  to  the  kitchen,  prepared  a  delicate  piece  of  toast,  a 
poached  egg,  a  cup  of  tea,  and  took  it  to  her  mother's  room, 
tiptoeing  lightly  lest  she  still  slept. 

But  the  mother  was  awake  and  glad  to  see  her.  She  had 
been  awake  since  the  first  streak  of  dawn  had  crept  into  the 
little  back  window.  She  had  the  look  of  one  who  was  girded 
for  the  worst.  But,  when  she  saw  her  daughter's  face,  the 
mother  in  her  triumphed  over  the  woman. 

116 


116  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"Whafs  the  trouble,  little  girl?  Has  something  hap- 
pened?" 

The  tenderness  in  her  voice  was  the  last  straw  that  broke 
Shirley's  self-control.  The  tears  suddenly  sprang  into  her 
eyes,  and  her  lip  trembled. 

"  Oh  mother ! "  she  wailed,  setting  the  tray  down  quickly 
on  a  box  and  fumbling  for  her  handkerchief.  "  I'm  so  wor- 
ried !  I'm  so  afraid  you  won't  like  what  we've  done,  and  then 
what  shall  we  do?" 

"  I  shall  like  it !  "  said  the  mother  with  instant  determina- 
tion. "  Don't  for  a  minute  think  of  anything  else.  Having 
done  something  irrevocably,  never  look  back  and  think  you 
might  have  done  something  better.  You  did  the  best  you 
could,  or  you  thought  you  did,  anyway ;  and  there  didn't  seem 
to  be  anything  else  at  the  time.  So  now  just  consider  it  was 
the  very  beet  thing  in  the  world,  and  don't  go  to  fretting 
about  it.  There'll  be  something  nice  about  it,  I'm  sure,  and 
goodness  knows  we've  had  enough  unpleasant  things  here;  so 
we  needn't  expect  beds  of  roses.  We  are  just  going  to  make 
it  nice,  little  girl.  Remember  that !  We  are  going  to  like  it. 
There's  a  tree  there,  you  say ;  so,  when  we  find  things  we  don't 
like,  we'll  just  go  out  and  look  up  at  our  tree,  and  say,  c  We've 
got  you,  anyway,  and  we're  glad  of  it !  " 

"  You  blessed  little  mother !  "  laughed  Shirley,  wiping  her 
tears  away.  "  I  just  believe  you  will  like  it,  maybe,  after  all, 
though  I've  had  a  lot  of  compunctions  all  night.  I  wondered 
if  maybe  I  oughtn't  to  have  told  you  all  about  it ;  only  I  knew 
you  couldn't  really  judge  at  all  until  you  had  seen  it  yourself, 
and  we  wanted  to  surprise  you." 

"Well,  I'm  determined  to  be  surprised,"  said  the  brave 
little  woman;  "so  don't  you  worry  We're  going  to  hav»  4 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  117 

grand  good  time  to-day.  Now  run  along.  It's  almost  time 
for  your  car,  and  you  haven't  had  any  breakfast  yet." 

Shirley  kissed  her  mother,  and  went  smiling  down  to  eat 
her  breakfast  and  hurry  away  to  the  office. 

There  was  a  big  rush  of  work  at  the  office,  or  Shirley  would 
have  asked  for  a  half -holiday ;  but  she  did  not  dare  endanger 
her  position  by  making  a  request  at  so  busy  a  season.  She  was 
glad  that  the  next  day  was  Sunday  and  they  would  have  a 
whole  day  to  themselves  in  the  new  home  before  she  would 
have  to  hurry  away  to  the  office  again.  It  would  serve  to  make 
it  seem  less  lonely  for  her  mother,  having  them  all  home  that 
first  day.  She  meant  to  work  fast  to-daj  and  get  all  the 
letters  written  before  five  if  possible.  Then  she  would  have 
time  to  get  home  a  few  minutes  before  Graham  arrived  with 
his  car,  and  see  that  her  mother  was  all  comfortably  ready. 
It  was  a  good  deal  to  put  upon  Carol  to  look  after  everything. 
It  wasn't  as  if  they  had  neighbors  to  help  out  a  little,  for 
they  were  the  very  last  tenants  in  the  doomed  block  to  leave. 
All  the  others  had  gone  two  or  three  weeks  before. 

Thinking  over  again  all  the  many  details  for  the  day, 
Shirley  walked  down  to  the  office  through  the  sunshine.  It 
was  growing  warm  weather,  and  her  coat  felt  oppressive 
already.  She  was  so  thankful  that  mother  would  not  have  to 
sleep  in  those  breathless  rooms  after  the  heat  began.  The 
doctor  had  said  that  her  mother  needed  rest  and  air  and 
plenty  of  sunshine  more  than  anything  else.  She  would  at 
least  have  those  at  the  barn,  and  what  did  other  things  mat- 
ter, after  all  ?  Mother  was  game.  Mother  wouldn't  let  herself 
feel  badly  over  such  a  silly  thing.  They  certainly  were  going 
to  be  more  comfortable  than  they  had  been  for  several  years. 
Think  of  that  wonderful  electric  light.  And  clear  cold  water 


118  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

from  the  spring!  Oh,  it  was  great!  And  a  little  thrill  of 
ecstasy  passed  over  her,  the  first  she  had  let  herself  feel 
since  she  had  taken  the  great  responsibility  of  transplanting 
her  family  to  a  barn. 

After  all,  the  day  passed  very  quickly;  and,  when  at  half- 
past  four  the  telephone-bell  rang  and  Graham's  voice  an- 
nounced that  he  would  be  down  at  the  street  door  waiting  for 
her  in  half  an  hour,  that  she  needn't  hurry,  he  would  wait 
till  she  was  ready,  her  heart  gave  a  little  jump  of  joy.  It 
was  as  if  school  was  out  and  she  was  going  on  a  real  picnic 
like  other  girls.  How  nice  of  him !  How  perfectly  lovely  of 
him!  And  yet  there  hadn't  been  anything  but  the  nicest 
friendliness  in  his  voice,  such  as  any  kindly  disposed  landlord 
might  use  if  he  chose,  nothing  that  she  need  feel  uncom- 
fortable about.  At  least,  there  was  the  relief  that  after  to-night 
mother  would  know  all  about  it;  and,  if  she  didn't  approve, 
Shirley  could  decline  any  further  kindness,  of  course.  And 
now  she  was  just  going  to  take  mother's  advice  and  forget 
everything  but  the  pleasant  part. 

At  home  Carol  and  Harley  bustled  about  in  the  empty 
house  like  two  excited  bumble-bees,  washing  up  the  few  dishes, 
putting  in  an  open  box  everything  that  had  been  left  out  for 
their  last  night's  sleeping,  getting  lunch,  and  making  mother 
take  a  nap.  Doris,  vibrating  between  her  mother's  room  and 
down-stairs,  kept  singing  over  to  herself :  "  We  goin'  to  tun  try ! 
We  going*  to  tuntry!  See  birdies  an'  twees  and  walk  on 
gween  gwass ! " 

After  lunch  was  over  and  the  dishes  were  put  carefully 
into  the  big  box  between  comfortables  and  blankets  Carol 
helped  her  mother  to  dress,  and  then  made  her  lie  down  and 
take  a  good  long  nap,  with  Doris  asleep  by  her  side.  After/ 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  119 

that  Carol  and  Harley  tiptoed  down  to  the  bare  kitchen,  and 
sat  on  a  box  side  by  side  to  converse. 

"  Gee !  Ain't  you  tired,  Carol  ?  "  said  the  boy,  pushing 
his  hair  back  from  his  hot  face.  "  Gee !  Don't  it  seem  funny 
we  aren't  coming  back  here  any  more?  It  kind  of  gets  my 
goat  I  sha'n't  see  the  fellows  so  often,  but  it'll  be  great  to 
ask  'em  to  see  us  sometimes.  Say,  do  you  suppose  we  really 
can  keep  chickens  ?  " 

"  Sure !  "  said  Carol  convincingly.  "  I  asked  Mr.  Graham 
if  we  might, — George  said  we  ought  to,  he  was  such  a  good 
scout  you'd  want  to  be  sure  he'd  like  it,  and  he  said,  c  Sure,  it 
would  be  great.'  He'd  like  to  come  out  and  see  them  some- 
times. He  said  he  used  to  keep  chickens  himself  when  he 
was  a  kid,  and  he  shouldn't  wonder  if  they  had  a  few  too 
many  at  their  place  they  could  spare  to  start  with.  He  told 
me  he'd  look  it  up  and  see  soon's  we  got  settled." 

"  Gee  !  He's  a  peach,  isn't  he  ?  Say,  has  he  got  a  case  on 
Shirl?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  the  girl  thoughtfully ;  "  maybe  he 
has,  but  he  doesn't  know  it  yet,  I  guess.  But  anyhow  you 
must  promise  me  you  will  never  breathe  such  a  word.  Why, 
Shirley  would  just  bust  right  up  if  you  did.  I  said  &  little 
something  to  her  like  that  once;  it  wasn't  much,  only  just 
that  he  was  awfully  nice  and  I  guessed  he  liked  her  by  the 
way  he  looked  at  her,  and  she  just  fairly  froze.  You  know  the 
way  her  eyes  get  when  she  is  sore  at  us?  And  she  said  I 
must  never,  never  even  think  anything  like  that,  or  she  would 
give  the  place  right  up,  and  get  a  few  rooms  down  on  South 
Street,  and  stay  in  the  city  all  summer !  She  said  Mr.  Graham 
was  a  gentleman,  and  she  was  only  a  working  girl,  and  it 
would  be  a  disgrace  for  her  to  accept  any  favors  from  him 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

except  what  she  could  pay  for,  and  an  insult  for  him  to  offei 
them,  because  she  was  only  a  working  girl  and  he  was  a 
gentleman,  you  know." 

"  H'm !  "  growled  Harley.  "  I  guess  our  sister's  as  good 
as  he  is  any  day/' 

"  Of  course !  "  snapped  Carol ;  "  but  then  he  might  not 
think  so/' 

"  Well,  if  he  don't,  he  can  go  to  thunder !  "  bristled  Harley 
wrathf  ully.  "  I'm  not  going  to  have  him  looking  down  on 
Shirley.  She's  as  good  as  his  baby-doll  sister  with  her  pink 
cheeks,  and  her  little  white  hands,  and  her  high  heels  and  airs, 
any  day !  She's  a  nut,  she  is." 

"  Harley !  You  stop !  "  declared  Carol,  getting  wrathful. 
"  Elizabeth's  a  dear,  and  you're  not  going  to  talk  about  her 
that  way.  Just  betause  she  is  pretty  and  doesn't  have  to  work." 

"Well,  you  said  her  brother  looked  down  on  our  sister," 
declared  Harley. 

"I  did  not!  I  only  said  he  might!  I  only  meant  that 
was  the  way  some  gentlemen  would.  I  only  said  people  kind 
of  expect  gentlemen  to  do  that." 

"  Not  if  they're  real  gentlemen,  they  won't.  And  anyhow 
he  won't.  If  I  find  him  looking  down  on  my  sister  Shirley, 
I'll  punch  his  face  for  him.  Yes,  I  will!  I'm  not  afraid. 
George  and  I  could  beat  the  stuffing  out  of  him,  and  we  will  if 
be  does  any  looking-down  stunts,  and  don't  you  forget  it ! " 

"  Well,  I'm  sure  he  doesn't,"  said  Carol  pacifically,  trying 
to  put  a  soothing  sound  into  her  voice  as  wise  elder  sisters 
learn  to  do.  "You  see  if  he  did  look  down  on  her,  Shirley 
would  know  it;  right  away  she'd  know  it.  Nobody  would 
have  to  tell  her!  She'd  see  it  in  his  voice  and  smile  and 
everything.  And,  if  he  had,  she  wouldn't  have  gone  out  there 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  121 

to  live  in  the  place  he  owns,  you  know.  So  I  guess  you  can 
trust  Shirley.  I  think  he's  been  just  dandy,  fixing  up  that 
fireplace  and  stairs  and  lights  and  water  and  everything." 

"  Well,  mebbe !  "  said  Harley  grudgingly.  "  Say,  this  is 
slow.  I'm  going  out  to  meet  the  fellows  when  they  come 
from  school,  and  see  what  the  score  of  the  game  is.  Gee !  I 
wish  I  could  play  to-day ! " 

" You'll  be  sure  to  come  back  in  time?"  asked  Carol 
anxiously. 

"  Sure !  You  don't  suppose  I'd  miss  going  out  121  that 
car,  do  you  ?  "  said  the  brother  contemptuously.  "  Not  on 
your  tintype ! " 

"  Well,  maybe  there  won't  be  room  for  you.  Maybe  Eliza- 
beth'll  come  along,  and  you'll  have  to  go  in  the  trolley  with 
George." 

"  No  chance !  "  declared  the  boy.  "  Mr.  Graham  said  I 
should  ride  with  him  'n  the  front  seat,  and  he  looks  like  a 
man  that  kept  his  word." 

"  You  see !  You  know  he's  a  gentleman !  "  triumphed 
Carol.  "  Well,  I  think  you'd  better  stay  here  with  me.  You'll 
forget  and  be  late,  and  make  a  mess  waiting  for  you." 

"  No,  I  won't ! "  said  the  restless  boy.  "  I  can't  be  bothered 
sticking  round  this  dump  all  afternoon  " ;  and  Harley  seized 
his  cap,  and  disappeared  with  a  whoop  around  the  corner. 
| After  he  was  gone  Carol  found  she  was  tired  out  herself,  and, 
jcurling  up  on  a  mattress  that  was  lying  ready  for  the  cart^nan, 
was  soon  asleep.  It  was  so  that  Harley  found  her  when  he 
hurried  back  an  hour  later,  a  trifle  anxious,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed, lest  he  had  stayed  too  long.  He  stirred  up  the  small 
household  noisily,  and  in  no  time  had  Carol  in  a  panic  brew- 
Ing  the  cup  of  tea  that  was  to  give  her  mother  strength  to  take 


122  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

the  journey,  dressing  Doris,  smoothing  her  own  hair,  putting 
the  last  things  into  bags  and  baskets  and  boxes,  and  directing 
the  cartman,  who  arrived  half  an  hour  sooner  than  he  prom- 
ised. Carol  was  quite  a  little  woman,  going  from  one  thing 
to  another  and  taking  the  place  of  everybody. 

Meantime  Elizabeth  Graham  and  her  brother  had  been 
spending  the  afternoon  in  business  of  their  own.  It  was 
Elizabeth  who  had  suggested  it,  and  her  brother  saw  no  reason 
why  she  should  not  carry  out  her  plan  and  why  he  should 
not  help  her. 

She  came  down  in  the  car  after  lunch,  the  chauffeur  driving 
her,  a  great  basket  of  cut  and  potted  flowers  from  the  home 
conservatory  in  the  tonneau  beside  her,  carefully  wrapped  in 
wax-paper.  She  stopped  at  the  office  for  her  brother,  and 
together  they  went  about  to  several  shops  giving  orders  and 
making  purchases.  When  they  had  finished  they  drove  out 
to  Glenside  to  unpack  their  bundles  and  baskets.  Graham  left 
Elizabeth  with  the  old  servant  to  help  her,  and  drove  rapidly 
back  to  his  office,  where  he  telephoned  to  Shirley. 

Certainly  Elizabeth  had  never  had  such  fun  in  her  life. 
She  scarcely  knew  which  delightful  thing  to  do  first,  and  she 
had  only  about  two  hours  to  complete  her  arrangements  before 
the  family  would  arrive. 

She  decided  to  decorate  first,  and  the  great  hamper  of 
flowers  was  forthwith  brought  into  the  barn,  and  the  chauffeur 
set  to  work  twining  ropes  and  sprays  of  smilax  and  asparagus 
fern  oyer  doorways  and  pictures,  and  training  it  like  a  vine 
about  the  stone  chimney.  Then  come  the  flowers.  Pots  of 
tall  starry  lilies,  great,  heavy-headed,  exquisite-breathed  roses, 
pink,  white,  yellow,  and  crimson;  daffodils  and  sweet  peas, 
with  quantities  of  sweet  violets  in  the  bottom  of  the  basket. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  123 

Elizabeth  with  deft  fingers  selected  the  flowers  skilfully,  put- 
ting pots  of  lilies  on  the  window-sills,  massing  a  quantity  of 
pink  roses  in  a  dull  gray  jar  she  found  among  the  kitchen 
things,  that  looked  to  the  initiated  amazingly  as  though  it 
might  once  have  been  part  of  a  water-filter,  but  it  suited  the 
pink  roses  wonderfully.  The  tall  vases  on  the  bookcases  each 
side  of  the  fireplace  held  daffodils.  Sweet  peas  were  glowing 
in  small  vases  and  glasses  and  bowls,  and  violets  in  saucers 
filled  the  air  with  fragrance.  White  and  yellow  roses  were  on 
the  dining-table,  and  three  exquisite  tall  crimson  rosebuds 
glowed  in  a  slender  glass  vase  Elizabeth  had  brought  with  her. 
This  she  placed  in  Mrs.  Hollister's  room  on  the  little  stand 
that  she  judged  would  be  placed  beside  the  bed  when  the  bed 
arrived.  The  flowers  certainly  did  give  an  atmosphere  to  the 
place  in  more  senses  than  one;  and  the  girl  was  delighted, 
and  fluttered  from  one  spot  to  another,  changing  the  position 
of  a  vase  or  bowl,  and  then  standing  off  to  get  the  effect. 

"  Now  bring  me  the  big  bundle,  Jenkins,  please/'  she  said 
at  length  when  she  was  satisfied  with  the  effect.  "  Oh,  and 
1he  little  long  box.  Be  careful.  It  is  broken  at  one  end,  and 
the  screws  may  fall  out." 

Jenkins  was  soon  back  with  the  things. 

"  Now,  you  get  the  rods  put  up  at  the  windows,  Jenkins, 
while  I  get  out  the  curtains/'  and  she  untied  the  big  bundle 
with  eager  fingers. 

Jenkins  was  adaptable,  and  the  rods  were  simple  affairs. 
He  was  soon  at  work,  and  Elizabeth  ran  the  rods  into  the 
curtains. 

They  were  not  elegant  curtains.  Graham  had  insisted  that 
phe  should  get  nothing  elaborate,  nothing  that  would  be  out 
of  keeping  with  the  simplicity.  They  were  soft  and  straight 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

and  creamy,  with  a  frost-like  pattern  rambling  over  them  in 
threads  of  the  same,  illuminated  here  and  there  with  a 
single  rose  and  a  leaf  in  color.  There  was  something  cheer- 
ful and  spring-like  to  them,  and  yet  they  looked  exceedingly 
plain  and  suitable,  no  ruffles  or  trimming  of  any  kind,  just 
hems.  To  Elizabeth's  mind  they  had  been  very  cheap.  Shirley 
would  have  exclaimed  over  their  beauty  wistfully  and  turned 
from  them  with  a  gasp  when  she  heard  their  price.  They 
were  one  of  those  quiet  fitting  things  that  cost  without  flaunt- 
ing it.  They  transformed  the  room  into  a  dream. 

"Oh,  isn't  it  beautiful!"  exclaimed  Elizabeth,  standing 
back  to  look  as  the  first  curtain  went  up. 

"  Yes,  Miss,  it's  very  stunning,  Miss,"  said  the  man,  work- 
ing away  with  good  will  in  his  face. 

When  the  curtains  were  all  up,  Elizabeth  pinned  one  of 
her  cards  to  the  curtain  nearest  the  front  door,  inscribed, 
"With  love  from  Elizabeth." 

Then  in  a  panic  she  looked  at  her  watch. 

"  Oh  Jenkins !  It's  almost  six  o'clock,"  she  cried  in  dis- 
may. "They  might  get  here  by  half -past,  perhaps.  We 
must  hurry!  Bring  the  other  things  in  quick  now,  please." 

So  Jenkins  brought  them  in,  bundles  and  bags  and  boxes, 
an  ice-cream  freezer,  and  last  of  all  the  cooking-outfit  belong- 
ing to  their  touring-car. 

"  Now  you  get  the  hot  things  ready,  Jenkins,  while  I  fix 
tiie  table/'  directed  the  girl. 

Jenkins,  well  trained  in  such  things,  went  to  work,  opening 
cans  and  starting  his  chafing-dish  fire.  Elizabeth  with  eager 
fingers  opened  her  parcels. 

A  great  platter  of  delicious  triangular  chicken  Sandwiches, 
a  dish  of  fruit  and  nut  salad  surrounded  by  crisp  lettuos 


THE  ENCHAiSTTED  BARN  125 

leaves,  a  plate  of  delicate  rolls,  cream  puffs,  chocolate  eclairs, 
macaroons,  a  cocoanut  pie,  things  she  liked  herself ;  and  then 
because  she  knew  no  feast  without  them  there  were  olives, 
salted  almonds,  and  bonbons  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Delicious  odors  from  the  kitchen  end  of  the  room  began 
to  fill  the  air.  Jenkins  was  heating  a  pail  of  rich  soup — 
chicken  with  rice  and  gumbo — from  one  of  the  best  caterers 
in  the  city.  He  was  making  rich  cocoa  to  be  eaten  with 
whipped  cream  that  Elizabeth  was  pouring  into  a  glass 
pitcher;  the  pitcher  came  from  the  ten-cent  store  if  she  had 
only  known  it.  Jenkins  was  cooking  canned  peas  and  heating 
lovely  little  brown  potato  croquettes.  The  ice-cream  freezer 
was  out  in  full  sight,  where  they  could  never  miss  it.  Every- 
thing was  ready  now. 

"  Jenkins,  you  better  light  up  that  queer  stove  of  theirs 
now  if  you're  sure  you  know  how, — she  said  it  was  just  like 
a  lamp  the  way  it  worked, — and  put  those  things  in  the  oven 
to  keep  warm.  Then  we'll  pack  up  our  things,  and  hide  them 
out  in  the  grass  where  they  can't  see,  and  get  them  in  the 
car  when  they  get  out.  Hurry,  for  they'll  be  here  very  soon 
now,  I  think." 

Elizabeth  stuck  a  card  in  the  middle  of  the  rose-bow?,  that 
said  in  pretty  letters,  "  Welcome  Home,"  stood  back  a  minute 
to  see  how  everything  looked,  and  then  fluttered  to  the  door 
to  WR+fh  for  the  car. 


CHAPTER  XII 

WHEK  SMrley  came  down  to  the  street  at  five  o'clock. 
Graham  was  waiting  for  her  as  he  promised,  and  swung  the 
car  door  open  for  her  with  as  much  eagerness  as  if  he  were 
taking  the  girl  of  his  choice  on  a  picnic  instead  of  just  doing 
a  poor  little  stenographer  a  kindness. 

"  I  telephoned  to  the  store  and  sent  a  message  to  George. 
We're  going  to  pick  him  up  on  our  way,"  he  said  as  the  car 
wended  its  way  skilfully  through  the  traffic. 

She  was  sitting  beside  him,  and  he  looked  down  at  her  as 
if  they  were  partners  in  a  pleasant  scheme.  A  strange  sense 
of  companionship  with  him  thrilled  through  her,  and  waa 
properly  rebuked  and  fled  at  once,  without  really  rippling 
the  surface  of  her  joy  much.  She  had  determined  to  have 
the  pleasure  out  of  this  one  evening  ride  at  least,  and  would 
not  let  her  thoughts  play  truant  to  suggest  what  wider, 
sweeter  realms  might  be  for  other  girls.  She  was  having  this 
good  time.  It  was  for  her  and  no  one  else,  and  she  would 
just  enjoy  it  as  much  as  she  could,  and  keep  it  the  sweet,  sane, 
innocent  pleasure  that  it  really  was.  If  she  was  not  a  fool, 
everything  would  be  all  right. 

George  was  waiting  in  a  quiver  of  pride  and  eagerness  for 
them  as  they  swept  up  to  the  employees'  entrance,  and  a  line 
of  admiring  fellow-laborers  stood  gaping  on  the  sidewalk  to 
watch  his  departure. 

"Oh,  gee!  Isn't  this  great?"  shouted  George,  climbing 
into  the  back  seat  hilariously.  "Got  a  whole  <*mnibus  of  a 
oar  this  time,  haven't  you?" 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  127 

"Yes,  I  thought  we'd  have  plenty  of  room  for  your 
mother,  so  she  could  lie  down  if  she  liked." 

"  That  was  very  kind  of  you,"  murmured  Shirley.  "  You 
think  of  everything,  don't  you?  I'm  sure  I  don't  see  how 
we  ever  could  have  managed  without  your  help.  I  should 
have  been  frightened  a  dozen  times  and  been  ready  to  give  up." 

"  Not  you ! "  said  Graham  fervently.  "  You're  the  kind 
that  never  gives  up.  You've  taught  me  several  valuable 
lessons." 

As  they  turned  the  corner  into  the  old  street  where  the 
little  brick  house  stood,  Shirley  suddenly  began  to  have  a 
vivid  realization  that  she  had  told  her  mother  nothing  what- 
ever about  Mr.  Graham.  What  would  she  think,  and  how 
could  she  explain  his  presence?  She  had  expected  to  get 
there  before  Graham  arrived  and  have  time  enough  to  make 
her  mother  understand,  but  now  she  began  to  realize  that  her 
real  reason  for  leaving  the  matter  yet  unexplained  was  that 
she  did  not  know  just  what  to  say  without  telling  the  whole 
story  from  beginning  to  end. 

"  I'll  hurry  in  and  see  if  mother  is  all  ready,"  she  said,  as 
the  car  stopped  in  front  of  the  house,  and  the  children  rushed 
out  eagerly,  Doris  just  behind  the  others,  to  see  the  "  booful 
tar." 

"  Mother,"  said  Shirley,  slipping  softly  into  the  house  and 
going  over  to  the  bed  where  she  lay  with  hat  and  coat  on,  fully 
ready.  "  Mother,  I  sha'n't  have  time  to  explain  all  about  it, 
but  it's  all  right;  so  don't  think  anything.  Mr.  Graham,  the 
man  who  owns  the  place  where  we  are  going,  has  been  kind 
enough  to  offer  to  take  you  in  his  car.  He  thinks  it  will  be 
easier  for  you  than  the  trolley,  and  he  is  out  at  tn-e  door  now 
waiting.  It's  perfectly  all  right  He  has  been  very  kind 
about  it— -" 


128  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Oh  daughter,  I  couldn't  think  of  troubling  any  one  liie 
that !  "  said  the  mother,  shrinking  from  the  thought  of  a 
stranger ;  but,  looking  up,  she  saw  him  standing,  hat  in  hand, 
just  in  the  doorway.  The  children  had  led  him  to  the  door 
when  he  offered  to  help  their  mother  out  to  the  car. 

"  Mother,  this  is  Mr.  Graham/'  said  Shirley. 

Mrs.  Hollister,  a  little  pink  spot  on  each  cheek,  tried  to 
rise,  but  the  young  man  came  forward  instantly  and  stooped 
over  her. 

"  Don't  try  to  get  up,  Mrs.  Hollister.  Your  daughter  tells 
me  you  haven't  been  walking  about  for  several  weeks.  You 
must  reserve  all  your  strength  for  the  journey.  Just  trust  me. 
I'm  perfectly  strong,  and  I  can  lift  you  and  put  you  into  the 
car  almost  without  your  knowing  it.  I  often  carry  my  own 
mother  up-stairs  just  for  fun,  and  she's  quite  a  lot  larger  and 
heavier  than  you.  Just  let  me  put  my  hand  under  your  back 
so,  and  now  this  hand  here.  Now  if  you'll  put  your  arms 
around  my  neck — yes,  that  way — no,  don't  be  a  bit  afraid. 
I'm  perfectly  strong,  and  I  won't  drop  you." 

Little  Mrs.  Hollister  cast  a  frightened  look  at  her  daughter 
and  another  at  the  fine,  strong  face  bent  above  her,  felt  herself 
lifted  like  thistle-down  before  she  had  had  time  to  protest, 
and  found  herself  obediently  putting  her  weak  arms  around 
his  neck  and  resting  her  frightened  head  against  a  strong 
shoulder.  A  second  more,  and  she  was  lying  on  the  soft 
cushions  of  the  car,  and  the  young  man  was  piling  pillows 
about  her  and  tucking  her  up  with  soft,  furry  robes. 

<;Are  you  perfectly  comfortable  ?  "  he  asked  anxiously.  "  I 
didn't  strain  your  back  or  tire  you,  did  I  ? " 

"  Oh,  no,  indeed  !  "  said  the  bewildered  woman.  "  You 
are  very  kind,  and  I  hardly  knew  what  you  were  doing  till  I 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  139 

was  here.  I  never  dreamed  of  anything  like  this.  Shirley 
didn't  tell  me  about  it" 

"  No/'  said  the  young  man,  smiling,  "  she  said  she  wanted 
to  surprise  you;  and  I  believe  she  thought  you  might  worry 
a  little  if  you  heard  the  details  of  the  journey.  Now,  kitten, 
are  you  ready  to  get  in  ?  "  He  turned  a  smiling  face  to  Doris, 
who  stood  solemnly  waiting  her  turn,  with  an  expression  of 
one  who  at  last  sees  the  gates  of  the  kingdom  of  heaveo 
opening  before  her  happy  eyes. 

"  Soor !  "  said  Doris  in  a  tone  as  like  Harley's  as  possible. 
She  lifted  one  little  shabby  shoe,  and  tried  to  reach  the  step, 
but  failed,  and  then  surrendered  her  trusting  hands  to  the 
young  man ;  and  he  lifted  her  in  beside  her  mother. 

"Sit  there,  kitten,  till  your  sister  coiaes  out,"  he  said, 
looking  at  her  flower  face  admiringly. 

Doris  giggled. 

"  I  ain't  a  kitty,"  she  declared;  " I'se  a  'ittle  gurrul! " 

"  Well,  little  girl,  do  you  like  to  go  riding?  " 

"  Soor!  I  do  'ike  to  go  widin' ! "  said  Doris.  "  Oh !  There 
goes  muwer's  bed ! "  as  the  drayman  came  out  carrying  the 
headboard. 

Shirley  meanwhile  was  working  rapidly,  putting  the  last 
things  from  her  mother's  bed  into  the  box,  tossing  things  into 
the  empty  clothes-basket  that  had  been  left  for  this  purpose, 
and  directing  the  man  who  was  taking  down  the  bed  and  car- 
rying out  the  boxes  and  baskets.  At  last  all  the  things  were 
out  of  the  house,  and  she  was  free  to  go.  She  turned  for  one 
swift  moment,  and  caught  a  sob  in  her  throat.  There  had 
not  been  time  for  it  before.  It  had  come  when  she  saw  the 
young  man  stoop  and  lift  her  mother  so  tenderly  and  bear 
her  out  to  the  car. 


130  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

But  the  children  were  calling  her  loudly  to  come.  She 
gave  one  happy  dab  at  her  eyes  with  her  handkerchief  to  make 
sure  no  tears  had  escaped,  and  went  out  of  the  little  brick 
house  forever. 

A  little  middle  seat  had  been  turned  down  for  Carol,  and 
Doris  was  in  her  lap.  Graham  turned  the  other  middle  seat 
down  for  Shirley;  the  boys  piled  into  the  front  seat  with  him; 
and  they  were  off.  Mrs.  Hollister  in  her  wonder  over  it  all 
completely  forgot  to  look  back  into  what  she  had  been  wont  to 
call  in  the  stifling  days  of  summer  her  "frying-pan,"  or  to 
wonder  whether  she  were  about  to  jump  into  the  fire.  She 
just  lay  back  on  her  soft  cushions,  softer  than  any  she  had 
ever  rested  upon  before,  and  felt  herself  glide  along  away  from 
the  hated  little  dark  house  forever!  It  was  a  wonderful  ex- 
perience. It  almost  seemed  as  if  a  chariot  of  fire  had  swooped 
down  and  gathered  all  her  little  flock  with  her,  and  was 
carrying  them  tc  some  kind  of  gracious  heaven  where  comfort 
would  be  found  at  last.  A  bit  of  hope  sprang  up  within  her, 
utterly  unpremeditated  and  unreasonable,  and  persisted  so 
that  she  could  not  help  feeling  happy.  As  yet  it  had  not 
come  to  her  to  wonder  who  this  handsome  young  man  wae 
that  presumed  to  lift  her  and  carry  her  like  a  baby,  and  move 
her  on  beds  of  down  to  utterly  unknown  regions.  She  was 
too  much  taken. up  with  the  wonder  of  it  all.  If  Doris  hadn't 
been  prattling,  asking  questions  of  her,  and  the  light  breeze 
hadn't  flapped  a  lock  of  hair  into  her  eyes  and  tickled  her 
nose,  she  might  have  thought  she  was  dreaming,  so  utterly 
unreal  did  it  all  seem  to  her. 

And  now  they  passed  out  from  the  narrow  streets,  through 
crowded  thoroughfares  for  a  brief  space,  then  out  beyond, 
ar.d  free,  into  the  wider  reaches.  Fair  houses  and  glimpsed 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  131 

of  green  were  appearing.  The  car  was  gliding  smoothly,  for 
the  sake  of  the  invalid  not  going  at  high  speed;  and  she 
could  see  on  every  side.  The  trees  were  in  full  leaf;  the  sky 
was  large  and  blue;  the  air  was  filled  with  freshness.  She 
drew  a  long  breath ;  and  closed  her  eyes  to  pray,  "  Oh,  my 
Father  I "  and  then  opened  them  again  to  see  whether  it  was 
all  true.  Shirley,  sensitive  for  her  to  the  slightest  breath, 
turned  and  drew  the  robes  closer  about  her  mother,  and  asked 
whether  she  were  perfectly  warm  and  whether  she  wanted 
another  pillow  under  her  head. 

Graham  did  not  intrude  himself  upon  the  family  behind 
him.  He  was  absorbed  in  the  two  boys,  who  were  entirely 
willing  to  be  monopolized.  He  told  them  all  about  the  car, 
and  discoursed  on  the  mysteries  of  the  different  makes  with  a 
freedom  that  gave  George  the  impression  that  he  was  himself 
almost  a  man  to  be  honored  by  such  talk. 

It  was  nearly  seven  o'clock  when  they  reached  Glenside 
and  the  big  stone  barn  came  in  sight,  for  they  had  travelled 
slowly  to  make  it  easier  for  the  invalid. 

Elizabeth  had  sighted  the  car  far  down  the  road  below  the 
curve;  and,  switching  on  every  electric  light  in  the  place,  she 
fled  down  the  ladder  to  the  basement,  dragging  the  willing 
Jenkins  after  her.  Here  they  waited  with  bated  breath  until 
the  family  had  gone  inside,  when  they  made  their  stealthy 
way  out  the  east  end,  across  the  little  brook  under  the  fence, 
and  down  the  road,  to  be  picked  up  by  the  car  according  to 
previous  arrangement. 

As  the  car  came  in  sight  of  the  barn  a  deep  silence  sud- 
denly fell  upon  the  little  company.  Even  Doris  felt  it,  and 
ceased  her  prattle  to  look  from  one  to  another.  "Whatzie 
mattah  ?  "  she  asked  Shirley  shyly,  putting  out  her  hand  to 


132  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

i?at  Shirley's  face  in  a  way  she  had  when  sne  was  uneasy  01 
troubled.  "  W hatzie  mattah,  Surly?" 

But  Shirley  only  squeezed  her  hand  reassuringly,  and 
smiled. 

As  they  drew  near,  the  young  people  noticed  that  the  bars 
of  the  fence  in  front  of  the  barn  had  been  taken  down  and 
the  ditch  filled  in  smoothly.  Then  they  saw  that  the  car  was 
turning  in  and  going  straight  up  the  grassy  incline  to  the  door. 

Mrs.  Hollister,  lying  comfortably  among  her  cushions,  was 
looking  at  the  evening  sky,  hearing  a  bird  that  reminded  her 
of  long  ago,  and  scarcely  noticed  they  had  turned  until  the 
car  stopped.  Then  in  silent  joy  the  children  swarmed  out  of 
the  car,  and  with  one  consent  stood  back  and  watched  mother, 
as  the  strong  young  man  came  to  the  open  door  and  gathered 
her  in  his  arms  once  more. 

"  Now  we're  almost  home,  Mrs.  Hollister,"  he  said  pleas- 
antly. "  Just  put  your  arms  around  my  neck  once  more,  and 
we'll  soon  have  you  beside  your  own  fire."  He  lifted  her 
and  6ore  her  in  to  the  wide  couch  before  the  crackling  fire 
that  Elizabeth  had  started  just  before  she  went  to  look  out 
the  door  the  last  time. 

Then  into  the  blazing  light  of  the  transformed  barn  they 
all  stepped,  and  every  one  stood  back  and  stared,  blinking. 
Wliat  was  this?  What  wondrous  perfume  met  their  senses? 
What  luxury!  What  flowers!  What  hangings! 

They  stood  and  stared,  and  could  not  understand;  and 
between  them  they  forgot  to  wonder  what  their  mother  was 
thinking,  or  to  do  a  thing  but  stupidly  stare  and  say,  "  Why !  * 
and  "  Oh ! »  and  "Ah !  "  half  under  their  breath. 

"Just  phone  me  if  you  need  anything,  Miss  Hollister. 
please.  I  shall  be  glad  to  serve  you,"  said  Graham,  steppii 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  133 

quickly  over  to  the  door.  "  Mrs.  Hollister,  I  hope  you'll  be 
none  the  worse  for  your  ride  " ;  and  he  slipped  out  the  door, 
and  was  gone. 

The  sound  of  the  car  softly  purring  its  way  backward  down 
the  slope  brought  Shirley  out  of  her  daze ;  but,  when  she  turned 
and  understood  that  he  was  gone,  the  car  was  just  backing 
into  the  road,  turning  with  a  quick  whirl,  and  was  away  before 
she  could  make  him  hear. 

"  Oh !  He  is  gone !  "  she  cried  out,  turning  in  dismay  to 
the  children.  "  He  is  gone,  and  we  never  thanked  him !  " 

George  was  out  down  the  road  like  a  shot;  and  the  rest, 
forgetful  for  the  moment  of  the  invalid  who  had  been  the 
great  anxiety  all  day,  crowded  at  the  door  to  watch  him.  They 
could  hear  the  throbbing  of  the  machine;  they  heard  it  stop 
down  the  road  and  start  again  almost  immediately,  growing 
fainter  with  every  whir  as  it  went  farther  from  them.  In  a 
moment  more  George  came  running  back. 

"  He's  gone.  He  meant  to,  I  guess,  so  we  could  have  it 
all  to  ourselves  right  at  first.  Elizabeth  and  the  man  were 
down  the  road  waiting  for  him.  They've  been  dolling  the 
plase  up  to  surprise  us." 

"  Oh ! "  said  Shirley,  turning  to  look  around,  her  cheeks 
growing  rosy.  "Oh!  Isn't  it  beautiful?"  Then,  turning 
swiftly  to  the  couch  and  kneeling,  she  said,  "  Oh  mother!" 

"  What  does  it  all  mean,  daughter?  "  asked  the  bewildered 
mother,  looking  about  on  the  great  room  that  seemed  a  palace 
to  her  sad  eyes. 

But  they  all  began  to  clamor  at  once,  and  she  could  make 
nothing  of  it. 

"  Oh  Shirley,  look  at  the  curtains !  Aren't  they  perfectly 
dear  ?  "  cried  Carol  ecstatically. 


134  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Perf 'ly  deah ! "  echoed  Doris,  dancing  up  and  down 
gleefully. 

"And  here's  a  card,  <  With  love  from  Elizabeth ' !  Isn't  it 
fiweet  of  her?  Isn't  she  a  perfect  darling?" 

"  Who  is  Elizabeth  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Hollister,  rising  to  her 
elbow  and  looking  around. 

"Gee!  Look  at  the  flowers!'*  broke  in  George.  "Itffl 
like  our  store  at  Easter !  I  say !  Those  lilies  are  pretty  keen, 
aren't  they,  Shirl?" 

"Wait'll  you  see  the  dining-room!"  called  Harley,  who 
was  investigating  with  the  help  of  his  nose.  "  Some  supper- 
tahle!  Come  on  quick;  I'm  starved.  Hello!  Hustle  here 
quick.  Here's  another  sign-board ! " 

They  followed  to  the  dining-room.  Harley,  still  following 
his  nose,  pursued  his  investigations  to  the  kitchen,  discovered 
the  source  of  the  savory  odors  that  were  pervading  the  place, 
and  raised  another  cry  so  appreciative  that  the  entire  family, 
with  the  exception  of  the  invalid,  followed  him  and  found  the 
supper  steaming  hot  and  crying  to  he  eaten. 

After  the  excitement  was  somewhat  quieted  Shirley  took 
command. 

"Now,  children,  you're  getting  mother  all  excited,  and 
this  won't  do.  And,  besides,  we  must  eat  this  supper  right 
away  before  it  spoils.  Quiet  down,  and  bring  the  hot  things 
to  the  table  while  I  get  mother's  things  off.  Then  we  will  tell 
her  all  about  it.  There's  plenty  of  time,  you  know.  We're 
going  to  stay  right  here  all  summer." 

"Aw,  gee!  Can't  we  bring  mother  out  to  the  table ?" 
pleaded  George.  "Harley  and  I  could  lift  that  couch  just 
as  easy." 

"Why,  I  don't  know,"  said  Shirley,  hesitating.     "You 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  135 

know  she  is?*'*  strong,  and  she  will  worry  about  your  lifting 


"Oh  Shirley,  let  her  come,"  pleaded  Carol.  "We  could 
all  take  hold  and  wheel  the  couch  out  here;  you  know  the 
floor  is  real  smooth  since  those  new  boards  were  put  in,  and 
there  are  good  castors  on  the  couch." 

"  Mother !  Mother !  You're  coming  out  to  supper ! "  thej 
chorused,  rushing  back  to  the  living-room;  and  before  the 
invalid  realized  what  was  happening  her  couch  was  being 
wheeled  carefully,  gleefully  into  the  brilliantly  lighted  din- 
ing-room, with  Doris  like  a  fairy  sprite  dancing  attendance, 
and  shouting  joyously  : 

"  Mudder's  tumin'  to  suppy !  Mudder's  tumin'  to  suppy 
adin!" 

The  mother  gazed  in  amazement  at  the  royally  spread 
table,  so  smothered  in  flowers  that  she  failed  to  recognize  the 
cracked  old  blue  dishes. 

"  Children,  I  insist/'  she  raised  her  voice  above  the  happy 
din.  "  I  insist  on  knowing  immediately  what  all  this  means. 
Where  are  we,  and  what  is  this  ?  A  hotel  ?  And  who  was  the 
person  who  brought  us  here  ?  I  cannot  eat  anything  nor  stay 
here  another  minute  until  I  know.  People  can't  rent  houses 
like  this  for  ten  dollars  a  month  anywhere,  and  I  didn't 
suppose  we  had  come  to  charity,  even  if  I  am  laid  up  for  a 
few  days." 

Shirley  could  see  the  hurt  in  her  mother's  eyes  and  the 
quick  alarm  in  her  voice,  and  came  around  to  her  couch, 
smiling. 

"  Now,  mother  dear,  we'll  tell  you  the  whole  thing.  It 
isn't  a  hotel  we're  in,  and  it  isn't  a  house  at  all.  It's  only 
an  old  barn!" 


<36  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"A  barn ! "  Mrs.  Hollister  sat  up  on  her  couch  alertly, 
and  looked  at  the  big  bowl  of  roses  in  the  middle  of  the  table, 
at  the  soft,  flowing  curtains  at  the  window  and  the  great  pot 
of  Easter  lilies  on  the  little  stand  in  front,  and  exclaimed, 
"  Impossible ! " 

"But  it  is,  really,  mother,  just  a  grand  old  stone  barn! 
Look  at  the  walls.  See.  those  two  over  there  are  just  rough 
stones,  and  this  one  back  of  you  is  a  partition  made  of  com- 
mon boards.  That's  only  an  old  brown  denim  curtain  over 
there  to  hide  the  kitchen,  and  we've  got  the  old  red  chenille 
curtains  up  to  partition  off  the  bedrooms.  The  boys  are  going 
to  sleep  up  in  the  hay-loft,  and  it's  going  to  be  just  great \  'J 

Mrs.  Hollister  looked  wildly  at  the  stone  walls,  back  at 
the  new  partition,  recognized  one  by  one  the  ancient  chairs, 
the  old  bookcase  now  converted  into  a  china-closet,  the  brown 
denim  curtain  that  had  once  been  a  cover  for  the  dining-room 
floor  in  the  little  brick  house.  Now  it  was  washed  and 
mended,  and  was  doing  its  faded  part  to  look  like  a  wall  and 
fit  into  the  scheme  of  things.  She  darted  questioning  glances 
at  the  wealth  of  flowers,  and  the  abundantly  set  table,  then 
settled  back  on  her  pillow  but  half  satisfied. 

"  They  don't  have  curtains  in  a  barn ! "  she  remarked 
dryly. 

"  Those  are  a  present  from  Elizabeth,  the  little  sister  of 
the  landlord.  She  was  out  here  with  him  when  he  came  to 
see  about  things,  and  she  got  acquainted  with  Carol.  She 
has  put  up  those  curtains,  and  brought  the  flowers,  and  fixed 
the  table,  for  a  surprise.  See,  mother !  "  and  Shirley  brought 
the  card  on  which  Elizabeth  had  printed  her  crude  welcome. 

Mrs.  Hollister  took  thf  card  as  if  it  were  some  sort  of  a 
fife-preserver,  and  smiled  with  relief. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  IS* 

"But  this  is  a  great  deal  to  do  for  strangers,"  she  said 
tremblingly,  and  tears  began  to  glitter  in  her  eyes.  "  They 
must  be  wealthy  people." 

"  Yes,  mother,  I  think  they  are,"  said  Shirley,  "  and  they 
have  been  most  kind." 

f  "But,  daughter,  wealthy  people  do  not  usually  take  the 
trouble  to  do  things  like  that  for  nothing.  And  ten  dollars 
A  month  for  a  barn  could  be  nothing  to  them." 

"  I  know,  mother,  but  he  seems  very  well  satisfied  with  tha 
price,"  said  Shirley  with  a  troubled  brow.  "  I " 

"  Something's  burning ! "  yelled  Harley  at  the  top  of  his 
lungs  from  the  kitchen,  and  immediately  they  all  rushed  out 
to  rescue  the  supper,  which  took  that  moment  to  assert  itself. 

"  Now,  mother,"  said  Shirley,  coming  in  with  a  big  tureen 
of  soupi  "  we've  got  to  eat  this  supper  or  it  will  spoil.  You're 
not  to  ask  another  question  till  we  are  through." 

They  all  settled  expectantly  down  at  the  table,  Dorii 
climbing  joyously  into  her  high  chair,  calling: 

"  Suppy !    Suppy !    Oh  goody ! " 

Such  a  clatter  and  a  clamor,  such  shoutings  over  the  sand- 
wiches and  such  jumpings  up  and  down  to  carry  something 
to  mother !  Such  lingering  over  the  delicious  ice-cream  and 
fresh  strawberries  that  were  found  in  the  freezer!  Think 
of  it !  Real  strawberries  for  them  that  time  of  year  I 

Then,  when  they  had  eaten  all  they  could,  and  began  tc 
realize  that  it  was  time  to  get  mother  to  bed,  they  pushed  the 
chairs  back,  and  all  fell  to  clearing  off  the  table  and  putting 
things  away.  It  was  Carol  who  discovered  the  big  roasted 
fowl  and  the  bowl  of  salad  set  away  in  the  tiny  ice-box  ready 
for  to-morrow.  How  had  Elizabeth,  who  never  kept  house  in 
her  life,  known  just  what  would  be  nice  for  a  family 


138  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

were  all  tired  out  with  moving,  and  needed  to  lie  back  and 
rest  before  starting  on  with  living? 

The  dishes  were  almost  washed  when  the  cart  arrived  with 
the  last  load  of  things,  and  the  drayman  helped  George  to 
put  up  mother's  bed. 

They  wheeled  the  couch  into  the  living-room  after  the  big 
doors  were  closed  and  safely  fastened  for  the  night.  Before 
the  glowing  fire  Shirley  helped  mother  to  undress,  then  rolled 
her  couch  into  the  bedroom  and  got  her  to  bed. 

"  Do  you  mind  very  much  that  it  is  only  a  barn,  mother 
dear  ?  "  questioned  Shirley,  bending  anxiously  over  her  mother 
after  she  was  settled. 

"  I  can't  make  it  seem  like  a  barn,  dear ;  it  seems  a  palace !  " 
said  the  mother  with  a  tremble  in  her  voice.  "  I'm  glad  it's 
a  barn,  because  we  could  never  afford  a  house  with  space  like 
this,  and  air !  "  She  threw  out  her  hands  as  if  to  express  her 
delight  in  the  wide  rooms,  and  drew  in  a  breath  of  the  delicious 
country  air,  so  different  from  air  of  the  dusty  little  brick 
house  in  the  city. 

"  Daughter ! "  she  drew  Shirley  down  where  she  could 
whisper  to  her.  "  You're  sure  he  is  not  looking  on  us  as 
objects  of  charity,  and  you're  sure  he  understands  that  you  are 
a  self-respecting  girl  earning  her  honorable  living  and  paying 
her  way  ?  You  know  this  is  a  wicked,  deceitful  world  we 
live  in,  and  there  are  all  sorts  of  people  in  it/' 

"Mother  dear!  I'm  sure.  Sure  as  anybody  could  be. 
He  has  been  a  perfect  gentleman.  You  didn't  think  he  looked 
like  one  of  those — those  people — that  go  around  misunder- 
standing girls,  did  you  mother?" 

The  mother  remembered  the  gentle,  manly  way  in  which 
the  young  man  had  lifted  her  and  carried  her  to  and  from 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  139 

the  car,  and  her  heart  warmed  to  him.  Yet  her  fears  lingered 
as  she  watched  her  sweet-eyed  girl. 

"No-o-o,"  she  answered  slowly;  "but  then,  you  can't 
always  judge.  He  certainly  was  a  gentleman,  and  he  was 
very  nice-looking."  Then  she  looked  sharply  at  Shirley. 

"  You  won't  go  to  getting  any  notions  in  your  head,  deal 
'cnild?"  Her  eyes  were  wistful  and  sad  as  she  searched  the 
sweet,  weary  face  of  the  girl.  "You  know  rich  young  men 
follow  whims  sometimes  for  a  few  days.  They  don't  mean 
anything.  I  wouldn't  want  your  heart  broken.  I  wish  he 
was  an  old  man  with  white  hair." 

"  Oh  mother  dear !  "  laughed  Shirley  with  heart-free  ring 
to  her  voice,  "did  you  think  you  had  a  young  fool  for  a 
daughter?  He  was  only  being  nice  because  he  is  a  perfect 
gentleman;  but  I  know  he  is  not  in  the  same  universe  as 
I  am,  so  far  as  anything  more  than  pleasant  kindliness  is 
concerned.  We  shall  probably  never  see  him  again  now  that 
we  are  settled.  But  don't  you  think  I  ought  to  go  and 
telephone  thanks  to  his  little  sister?  They  will  be  home  by 
this  time,  and  it  seems  as  if  we  ought  to  make  some  acknowl- 
edgment of  her  great  kindness." 

"  By  all  means,  dear ;  but  how  can  you  ?  Is  there  a  pay- 
station  near  here?  I  thought  you  said  this  was  out  in  the 
country." 

"Why,  we  have  a  telephone  of  our  own,  muddy  dear!| 
Just  think  of  the  luxury  of  it!  Us  with  a  telephone!  Mr. 
Graham  had  it  put  into  the  barn  when  he  was  making  some 
repairs,  so  he  could  communicate  with  his  workmen ;  and  he 
said  if  we  would  like  it  we  might  keep  it.  It  is  one  of  those 
'  pay-as-you-go '  phones,  with  a  place  to  drop  nickels  and 
dimes  in;  so  we  are  perfectly  independent.  Mr.  Graham 


t40  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

thought  it  would  be  a  comfort  to  }'ou  when  George  or  I  had 
to  stay  late  in  town." 

"  How  thoughtful  of  him !  He  must  be  a  wonderful  rich 
man!  By  all  means  telephone  at  once,  and  tell  the  little 
girl  to  say  to  her  brother  from  me  that  I  shall  esteem  it  a 
privilege  to  thank  him  personally  for  all  that  he  has  done  for 
my  children,  sometime  when  he  is  out  this  way.  Think.  A1 
real  rose  by  my  bed ! "  She  reached  out  a  frail  hand,  and 
touched  the  exquisite  petals  lovingly.  "  It  is  wonderful !  " 

So  Shirley  went  into  the  living-room  to  telephone,  while 
all  the  children  stood  about  to  watch  and  comment  and  tell 
her  what  to  say.  Doris  sat  on  a  little  cushion  at  her  feet  in 
awe,  and  listened,  asking  Carol  with  large  eyes:  als  Sirley 
tautin  to  Dod  ?  Vy  doesn't  see  sut  her  yeyes  ?  "  for  Shirley's 
conversation  over  the  telephone  sounded  to  the  little  sister 
much  like  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving;  only  she  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  hearing  that  joyous  laughter  in  the  voice  when 
people  prayed. 

Then  Doris  was  put  to  bed  in  her  own  little  crib,  and  the 
light  in  mother's  room  was  switched  off  amid  Doris's  flood 
of  questions. 

"Vat  makes  it  light?  Vy  did  it  do  avay?  Will  it  turn 
adin?"  wifi 

At  last  she  was  asleep,  and  the  other  children  tiptoed 
excitedly  about  preparing  for  bed,  going  up  and  downstairs 
softly,  whispering  back  and  forth  for  this  or  that  they  could 
not  find,  till  quiet  settled  down  upon  the  tired,  happy  house- 
hold, and  the  bullfrogs  in  the  distant  creek  droned  out  the 
nightly  chorus. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

IT  was  beautiful  to  wake  the  next  morning  with  the  birds 
singing  a  matin  in  the  trees,  and  a  wonderful  Sabbath  quiet 
over  everything.  Tired  out  as  she  was  and  worn  with  excite- 
ment and  care,  Shirley  was  the  first  to  waken,  and  she  lay 
there  quiet  beside  Carol  for  a  little  while  with  her  eyes 
closed,  listening,  and  saying  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving  for  the 
peace  of  the  place,  and  the  wonder  that  it  had  come  into  her 
life.  Then  suddenly  a  strange  luminousness  about  her  simply 
forced  her  to  open  her  eyes. 

The  eastern  window  was  across  the  room  from  her  bed,  and 
the  sky  was  rosy,  with  the  dawn,  and  flooding  the  room.  It 
was  the  first  time  in  years  she  had  watched  the  sun  rise.  She 
had  almost  forgotten,  in  the  little  dark  city  house,  that  there 
was  a  sun  to  rise  and  make  things  glorious.  The  sun  had 
seemed  an  enemy  to  burn  and  wilt  and  stifle. 

But  now  here  was  a  friend,  a  radiant  new  friend,  to  be 
waited  for  and  enjoyed,  to  give  glory  to  all  their  lives.  She 
raised  herself  on  one  elbow  and  watched  until  the  red  ball 
had  risen  and  burst  into  the  brightness  of  day.  Then  she  lay 
down  softly  again  and  listened  to  the  birds.  They  seemed  to 
be  mad  with  joy  over  the  new  day.  Presently  the  chorus 
grew  less  and  less.  The  birds  had  gone  about  their  morning 
tasks,  and  only  a  single  bright  song  now  and  then  from  some 
soloist  in  the  big  tree  overhead  marked  the  sweet-scented 
silence  of  the  morning. 

In  the  quiet  Shirley  lay  and  went  over  events  since  she 

had  first  seen  this  spot  and  taken  the  idea  of  living  in  the 

Ul 


142  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

barn.  Her  heart  gave  thanks  anew  that  her  mother  had  not 
disliked  it  as  sne  had  feared.  There  was  no  sense  that  it  was 
a  stable,  no  odor  of  living  creatures  having  occupied  it  before, 
only  sweet  dusty  clover  like  a  lingering  of  past  things  put 
away  carefully.  It  was  like  a  great  camping  expedition.  And 
then  all  those  flowers !  The  scent  of  the  lilies  was  on  the  air. 
How  lovely  of  the  young  girl  out  of  her  luxury  to  think  to 
pass  on  some  of  the  sweet  things  of  life !  And  the  gracious, 
chivalrous  man,  her  brother!  She  must  not  let  him  think 
she  would  presume  upon  his  kindness.  She  must  not  let  even 
her  thoughts  cross  the  line  and  dwell  on  the  ground  of  social 
equality.  She  knew  where  he  belonged,  and  there  he  should 
stay  for  all  her.  She  was  heart-free  and  happy,  and  only  too 
glad  tc  have  such  a  kind  landlord. 

She  drifted  off  to  sleep  again,  and  it  was  late  when  she 
awoke  the  next  time.  A  silvery  bell  from  the  little  white 
church  in  the  valley  was  ringing  and  echoing  distantly.  Sab- 
bath, real  Sabbath,  seemed  brooding  happily  in  the  very  air. 
Shirley  got  up  and  dressed  hastily.  She  felt  as  if  she  had 
already  lost  too  much  of  this  first  wonderful  day  in  the 
country. 

A  thrush  was  spilling  his  liquid  notes  in  the  tree  overhead 
when  she  tiptoed  softly  into  her  mother's  room.  Doris  opened 
her  eyes  and  looked  in  wonder,  then  whispered  softly: 

"Vat  is  dat,  Sirley?    Vat  is  dat  pitty  sound?" 

"A  birdie  in  the  tree,  dearie ! "  whispered  Shirley. 

"A  weel  budie!    I  yantta  see  it !    Take  Doris  up,  Sirley ! " 

So  Shirley  lifted  the  little  maiden,  wrapped  a  shawl  about 
her,  and  carried  her  softly  to  the  window,  where  she  looked 
Up  in  wonder  and  joy. 

Thf»  bovs  came  tumbling  down  from  their  loft  in  a  few 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  143 

minutes,  and  there  was  no  more  sleep  to  be  had.  Carol  was 
up  and  out,  and  the  voice  of  one  or  the  other  of  them  waa 
continually  raised  in  a  shout  of  triumph  over  some  new 
delight. 

"  I  saw  a  fish  in  the  brook ! "  shouted  Harley  under  his 
mother's  window.  "  It  was  only  a  little  fellow,  but  maybe  if  11 
grow  bigger  some  day,  and  then  we  can  fish ! " 

"  You  silly ! "  cried  George.  "  It  was  a  minnow.  Min- 
nows don't  grow  to  be  big.  They're  only  good  for  bait!" 

"  Hush,  George,  there's  a  nest  in  the  big  tree.  I've  been 
watching  and  the  mother  bird  is  sitting  on  it.  That  was  the 
father  bird  singing  a  while  ago."  This  from  Carol. 

George,  Harley,  and  Carol  declared  their  intention  of 
going  to  church.  That  had  likely  been  the  first  bell  that 
rang,  their  mother  told  them,  and  they  would  have  plenty 
of  time  to  get  there  if  they  hurried.  It  was  only  half-past 
nine.  Country  churches  rang  a  bell  then,  and  another  at  ten, 
and  the  final  bell  at  half -past  ten,  probably.  Possibly  they 
had  Sunday-school  at  ten.  Anyhow,  they  could  go  and  find 
out.  It  wouldn't  matter  if  they  were  a  little  late  the  first 
time. 

So  they  ate  some  breakfast  in  a  hurry,  took  each  a  sand- 
wich left  from  the  night  before,  crossed  the  road,  climbed  the 
fence,  and  went  joyously  over  the  green  fields  to  church, 
thinking  how  much  nicer  it  was  than  walking  down  a  brick- 
paved  street,  past  the  same  old  grimy  houses  to  a  dim,  arti- 
ficially lighted  church. 

Shirley  took  a  survey  of  the  larder,  decided  that  roast 
chicken,  potato  croquettes,  and  peas  would  all  warm  up 
quickly,  and,  as  there  was  plenty  of  ice  cream  left  and  some 
cakes,  they  would  fare  royally  without  any  work;  so  she  sat 


144  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

beside  her  mother  and  told  the  whole  story  of  her  ride,  the 
finding  of  the  barn,  her  visit  to  the  Graham  office,  and  all  that 
transpired  until  the  present  time. 

The  mother  listened,  watching  her  child,  but  said  no  wore 
of  her  inner  thoughts.  If  it  occurred  to  her  that  her  oldest 
daughter  was  fair  to  look  upon,  and  that  her  winning  ways, 
sweet,  unspoiled  face,  and  wistful  eyes  had  somewhat  to  do 
with  the  price  of  their  summer's  abode,  it  would  be  no  wonder. 
But  she  did  not  mean  to  trouble  her  child  further.  She  would 
investigate  for  herself  when  opportunity  offered.  So  she 
quieted  all  anxieties  Shirley  might  have  had  about  her  sanc- 
tion of  their  selection  of  a  home,  kissed  Shirley,  and  told  her 
she  felt  it  in  her  bones  she  was  going  to  get  well  right  away. 

And,  indeed,  there  was  much  in  the  fact  of  the  lifting  of 
the  burden  of  anjdety  concerning  where  they  should  live  that 
went  to  brighten  the  eyes  of  the  invalid  and  strengthen  her 
heart. 

When  the  children  came  home  from  church  Shirley  was 
putting  dinner  on  the  table,  and  her  mother  was  arrayed  in  a 
pretty  kimono,  a  relic  of  their  better  days,  and  ready  to  be 
helped  to  +he  couch  and  wheeled  out  to  the  dining-room.  It 
had  been  pleasant  to  see  the  children  coming  across  the  green 
meadow  in  the  distance,  and  get  things  all  ready  for  them 
when  they  rushed  in  hungry.  Shirley  was  so  happy  she  felt 
like  crying. 

After  the  dinner  things  were  washed  they  shoved  the  couch 
into  the  living-room  among  the  flowers,  where  George  had 
built  up  a  beautiful  fire,  for  it  was  still  chilly.  The  children 
gathered  around  their  mother  and  talked,  making  plans  for 
the  summer,  telling  about  the  service  they  had  attended, 
chattering  like  so  many  magpies.  The  mother  lay  and  watched 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  145 

them  and  was  content.  Sometimes  her  eyes  would  search  the 
dim,  mellow  rafters  overhead,  and  glance  along  the  stone 
walls,  and  she  would  say  to  herself :  "  This  is  a  barn !  I  am 
living  in  a  barn !  My  husband's  children  have  come  to  this, 
that  they  have  no  place  to  live  but  a  barn !  "  She  was  testing 
herself  to  see  if  the  thought  hurt  her.  But,  looking  on  their 
hftppy  faces,  somehow  she  could  not  feel  sad. 

"  Children/'  she  said  suddenly  in  one  of  the  little  lulls  of 
conversation,  "  do  you  realize  that  Christ  was  born  in  a  stable  ? 
It  isn't  so  bad  to  live  in  a  barn.  We  ought  to  be  very  thankful 
for  this  great  splendid  one !  " 

"  Oh  mother,  dear !  It  is  so  beautiful  of  you  to  take  it 
that  way ! "  cried  Shirley  with  tears  in  her  eyes. 

"  Doris,  you  sing  your  little  song  about  Jesus  in  the  stable," 
said  Carol.  "HI  play  it  for  you." 

Doris,  nothing  loath,  got  a  little  stool,  stood  up  beside  her 
mother's  couch,  folded  her  small  hands  demurely,  and  began 
to  sing  without  waiting  for  accompaniment: 

"Away  in  a  manger, 

No  trib  for  His  head, 
The  litta  Lord  Jesus 

Lay  down  His  sveet  head. 
The  tars  in  the  haaven 

Look  down  vhere  'e  lay — 
The  litta  Lord  Jesus 

As'eep  in  the  hay. 

"The  catta  are  lowing, 

The  poor  baby  wates; 
But  the  litta  Lord  Jesus 

No  cwyin'  He  mates. 
I  love  Thee,  Lord  Jesus; 

Look  down  fum  the  sky, 
An*  stay  by  my  trib, 

Watching  my  lul-la-by! » 


146  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

Shirley  kissed  Doris,  and  then  they  began  to  sing  other 
things,  all  standing  around  the  piano.  By  and  by  that  distant 
bell  from  the  valley  called  again. 

"  There's  a  vesper  service  at  five  o'clock.  Why  don't  you 
go,  Shirley  ?  You  and  George  and  Harley,"  said  Carol. 

"  Me  'ant  do  too ! "  declared  Doris  earnestly,  and  it  was 
finally  decided  that  the  walk  would  not  be  too  long;  so  the 
boys,  Shirley  and  the  baby  started  off  across  the  fields,  while 
Carol  stayed  with  her  mother.  And  this  time  Mrs.  Hollister 
heard  all  about  Elizabeth  and  how  she  wanted  Carol  to  come 
and  see  her  sometime.  Heard,  too,  about  the  proposed  dance, 
and  its  quiet  squelching  by  the  brother.  Heard,  and  looked 
thoughtful,  and  wondered  more. 

"  Mother  is  afraid  they  are  not  quite  our  kind  of  people, 
dear !  "  she  said  gently.  "  You  mustn't  get  your  heart  bound 
up  in  that  girl.  She  may  be  very  nice,  but  she's  a  society 
girl,  and  you  are  not,  you  know.  It  stands  to  reason  she  will 
have  other  interests  pretty  soon,  and  then  you  will  be  dis- 
appointed when  she  forgets  all  about  you." 

"  She  won't  forget,  mother,  I  know  she  won't ! "  declared 
Carol  stoutly.  "  She's  not  that  kind.  She  loves  me ;  she  told 
me  so.  She  wanted  to  put  one  of  her  rings  on  my  finger  to 
'  bind  our  friendship,'  only  I  wouldn't  let  her  till  I  had  asked 
you,  because  I  didn't  have  any  but  grandmother's  to  give  her, 
and  I  couldn't  give  her  that." 

"  That  was  right,  dear.  You  can't  begin  things  like  that. 
You  would  find  a  great  many  of  them,  and  we  haven't  the 
money  to  keep  up  with  a  little  girl  who  has  been  used  to 
everything." 

Carol's  face  went  down.    Tears  began  to  come  in  her  eyes. 

*  Can't  we  have  even  friends?"  she  said,  turning  her  face 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  147 

away  to  hide  the  quiver  in  her  lip,  and  the  tears  that  were 
rolling  down  her  cheeks. 

"Yes,  dear/'  said  the  mother  sorrowfully,  "but  don't 
choose  them  from  among  another  people.  People  who  can't 
possibly  have  much  in  common  with  us.  It  is  sure  to  hurt 
hard  when  there  are  differences  in  station  like  that." 

"  But  I  didn't  choose  them.  They  chose  us ! "  declared 
Carol.  "  Elizabeth  just  went  wild  over  us  the  first  time  she 
saw  us,  and  her  brother  told  Shirley  he  was  glad,  that  it 
would  do  Elizabeth  a  lot  of  good  to  know  us.  He  said, 
'We've  learned  a  lot  of  things  from  you  already';  just  like 
that,  he  said  it!  I  was  coming  down  the  stairs  behind  them 
when  they  stood  here  talking  one  day,  and  I  couldn't  help 
hearing  them." 

"Yes?"  said  Mrs.  Hollister  thoughtfully.  "Well,  per- 
haps, but,  dear,  go  slow  and  don't  pin  your  heart  to  a  friend- 
ship like  that,  for  it  will  most  likely  be  disappointing.  Just 
be  happy  in  what  she  has  done  for  us  already,  and  don't 
expect  anything  more.  She  may  never  come  again.  It  may 
just  have  been  a  passing  whim.  And  I  don't  want  you  to 
be  always  looking  for  her  and  always  disappointed." 

"I  shall  not  be  disappointed,  mamma,"  said  Carol  de- 
cidedly. "  You'll  see ! "  and  her  face  brightened. 

Then  as  if  to  make  good  her  words  a  big  car  came  whirring 
up  the  road  and  stopped  in  front  of  the  barn,  and  almost 
before  she  could  get  to  the  window  to  look  out  Carol  heard 
Elizabeth's  voice  calling  softly: 

"Carol!  Car-roZZ/  Are  you  there?"  and  she  flung  the 
door  open  and  rushed  into  her  new  friend's  arms. 

Graham  came  more  slowly  up  the  incline,  smiling  apolo- 
getically and  hoping  he  didn't  intrude,  coming  so  soon. 


148  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

Carol  led  them  over  to  the  invalid  and  introduced  he* 
friend,  and  the  young  man  came  after  them. 

"  I'm  afraid  this  is  rather  soon  to  obey  your  summons, 
Mrs.  Hollister,"  he  said  engagingly,  "  but  Elizabeth  couldn't 
stand  it  without  coming  over  to  see  if  you  really  found  the 
ice-cream  freezer,  so  I  thought  we'd  just  drop  in  for  a  minute 
and  see  whether  you  were  quite  comfortable." 

Somehow,  suddenly,  Mrs.  Hollister's  fears  and  conclusions 
concerning  these  two  young  people  began  to  vanish,  and  in 
spite  of  her  she  felt  just  as  Shirley  had  done,  that  they  were 
genuine  in  their  kindliness  and  friendship.  Carol,  watching 
her,  was  satisfied,  and  a  glow  of  triumph  shone  in  her  eyes. 
Nevertheless,  Mrs.  Hollister  gathered  her  caution  about  her 
as  a  garment,  and  in  dignified  and  pleasant  phrases  thanked 
the  two  in  such  a  way  that  they  must  see  that  neither  she 
nor  her  children  would  ever  presume  upon  what  had  been 
done  for  them,  nor  take  it  for  more  than  a  passing  kindliness. 

But  to  her  surprise  the  }roung  man  did  not  seem  to  be  more 
than  half  listening  to  her  words.  He  seemed  to  be  studying 
her  face  with  deep  intention  that  was  almost  embarrassing. 
The  soft  color  stole  into  her  thin  cheeks,  and  she  stopped 
speaking  and  looked  at  him  in  dismay. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  seeing  her  bewilderment, 
"but  you  can't  understand  perhaps  how  interested  I  am  in 
you.  I  am  afraid  I  have  been  guilty  of  staring.  You  see  it  is 
simply  amazing  to  me  to  find  a  woman  of  your  refinement  and 
evident  culture  and  education  who  is  content — I  might  even 
say  joyful — to  live  in  a  barn!  I  don't  know  another  woman 
who  would  be  satisfied.  And  you  seem  to  have  brought  up 
all  your  children  with  just  such  happy,  adaptable  natures, 
that  it  is  a  great  puzzle  to  me.  I — I — why,  I  feel  sort  of 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  149 

rebuked!  I  feel  that  you  and  your  children  are  among  the 
great  of  the  earth.  Don't  thank  Elizabeth  and  me  for  the 
little  we  have  been  able  to  do  toward  making  this  barn 
habitable.  It  was  a  sort  of — I  might  say  homage,  due  to  you, 
that  we  were  rendering.  And  now  please  don't  think  any- 
thing more  about  it.  Let's  just  talk  as  if  we  were  friends — 
that  is,  if  you  are  willing  to  accept  a  couple  of  humble 
strangers  among  your  list  of  friends." 

"  Why,  surely,  if  you  put  it  that  way ! "  smiled  the  little 
woman.  "Although  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  what  else  we 
could  do  but  be  glad  and  happy  over  it  that  we  had  a  barn 
like  this  to  come  to  under  a  sweet  blue  sky,  with  a  bird  and 
a  tree  thrown  in,  when  we  literally  didn't  know  where  we 
could  afford  co  lay  our  heads.  You  know  beggars  shouldn't 
be  choosers,  but  I'm  sure  one  would  choose  a  spacious  place 
like  this  any  day  in  preference  to  most  of  the  ordinary  city 
houses,  with  their  tiny  dark  rooms,  and  small  breathless 
windows." 

"  Even  if  'twas  called  a  barn?  " 

"  Even  if  'twas  called  a  barn ! "  said  the  woman  with  a 
flitting  dance  in  her  eyes  that  reminded  him  of  the  girl 
Shirley. 

"Well,  I'm  learning  a  lot,  I  tell  you!"  said  the  young 
man.  "  The  more  I  see  of  you  all,  the  more  I  learn.  If  s 
opened  my  eyes  to  a  number  of  things  in  my  life  that  I'm 
going  to  set  right.  By  the  way,  is  Miss  Hollister  here?  I 
brought  over  a  book  I  was  telling  her  about  the  other  day.  I 
thought  she  might  like  to  see  it." 

"  She  went  over  to  the  vesper  service  at  the  little  church 
across  the  fields.  They'll  be  coming  home  soon,  I  think.  It 
must  be  nearly  over." 


150  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

He  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  Suppose  I  take  the  car  and  bring  them  back.  You  staj 
here,  Elizabeth.  I'll  soon  be  back.  I  think  I  can  catch  them 
around  by  the  road  if  I  put  on  speed." 

He  was  off,  and  the  mother  lay  on  the  couch  watching  the 
two  girls  and  wishing  with  all  her  heart  that  it  were  so  that 
her  children  might  have  these  two  fine  young  people  for 
friends.  But  of  course  such  things  could  not  very  well  be 
in  this  world  of  stern  realities  and  multitudinous  conven- 
tionalities. What,  for  instance,  would  be  said  in  the  social 
set  to  which  the  Grahams  belonged  if  it  were  known  that  some 
of  their  intimate  friends  lived  in  a  barn?  No,  such  things 
did  not  happen  even  in  books,  and  the  mother  lay  still  and 
sighed.  She  heard  the  chatter  of  the  two  girls. 

"  You're  coming  home  with  me  to  stay  over  Sunday  pretty 
soon.  Sidney  said  he  would  fix  it  all  up  with  your  mother 
pretty  soon.  We'll  sleep  together  and  have  the  grandest 
times.  Mother  likes  me  to  have  friends  stay  with  me,  but 
most  of  the  girls  I  know  are  off  at  boarding-school  now,  and 
I'm  dreadfully  lonesome.  We  have  tennis-courts  and  golf 
links  and  a  bowling-alley.  Do  you  play  tennis  ?  And  we  can 
go  out  in  the  car  whenever  we  like.  It's  going  to  be  grand. 
Ill  show  you  my  dog  and  my  poiiy  I  used  to  ride.  He's 
getting  old  now,  and  I'm  too  big  for  him,  but  I  love  him  just 
the  same.  I  have  a  saddle-horse,  but  I  don't  ride  much.  I'd 
rather  go  motoring  with  Sid " 

And  so  she  rattled  on,  and  the  mother  sighed  for  her  little 
girl  who  was  being  tempted  by  a  new  and  beautiful  world,  and 
had  not  the  wherewithal  to  enter  it,  even  if  it  were  possible 
for  her  to  do  so. 

Out  in  the  sunset  the  car  was  speeding  back  again  with 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  151 

the  seats  full,  Doris  chirping  gleefully  at  the  ride,  for  her 
fat  legs  had  grown  very  weary  with  the  long  walk  through 
the  meadow  and  Shirley  had  been  almost  sorry  she  had  taken 
her  along. 

The  hoys  were  shouting  all  sorts  of  questions  about  dogs 
and  chickens  and  cars  and  a  garden,  and  Graham  was  answer- 
ing them  all  good-humoredly,  now  and  then  turning  around 
to  throw  back  a  pleasant  sentence  and  a  smile  at  the  quiet 
girl  with  the  happy  eyes  sitting  in  the  back  seat  with  her 
arm  around  her  little  sister. 

There  WP,S  nothing  notable  about  the  ride  to  remember.  It 
was  just  one  of  those  beautiful  bits  of  pleasantness  that  fit  into 
the  mosaic  of  any  growing  friendship,  a  bit  of  color  without 
which  the  whole  is  not  perfect.  Shirley's  part  in  it  was 
small.  She  said  little  and  sat  listening  happily  to  the  boys' 
conversation  with  Graham.  She  had  settled  it  with  her  heart 
that  morning  that  she  and  the  young  man  on  that  front  seat 
had  nothing  in  future  to  do  with  each  other,  but  it  was  pleas- 
ant to  see  him  sitting  there  talking  with  her  brothers.  There 
was  no  reason  why  she  should  not  be  glad  for  that,  and  glad 
he  was  not  a  snob.  For  every  time  she  looked  on  his  clean, 
frank  face,  and  saw  his  nice  gray  eyes  upon  her,  she  was 
surer  that  he  was  not  a  snob. 

The  guests  stayed  a  little  while  after  they  all  got  back, 
and  accepted  quite  as  a  matter  of  course  the  dainty  little 
lunch  that  Carol  and  Elizabeth,  slipping  away  unobserved, 
prepared  and  brought  in  on  trays, — some  of  the  salad  left 
from  dinner,  some  round  rolls  that  Shirley  had  brought  out 
with  her  Saturday,  cut  in  two  and  crisply  toasted,  cups  of 
delicious  cocoa,  and  little  cakes.  That  was  all,  but  it  tasted 
fine,  and  the  two  self-invited  guests  enjoyed  it  hugely.  Then 


152  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

they  all  ranged  themselves  around  the  piano  and  sang  bymns, 
and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  guests  at  least  had  not  spent  as 
"Sabbathy"  a  Sabbath  in  all  their  lives.  Elizabeth  was 
quite  astonished  when  she  suggested  that  they  sing  a  popular 
song  to  have  Carol  answer  in  a  polite  but  gently  reproving 
tone,  "  Oh,  not  to-day,  you  know." 

"Why  not?  Doesn't  your  mother  like  it?"  whispered 
Elizabeth. 

"Why,  we  don't  any  of  us  usually  sing  things  like  that 
on  Sunday,  you  know.  It  doesn't  seem  like  Sunday.  It 
doesn't  seem  quite  respectful  to  God."  Carol  was  terribly 
embarrassed  and  was  struggling  to  make  her  idea  plain. 

"  Oh ! "  Elizabeth  said,  and  stood  looking  wistfully,  won- 
deringly  at  her  friend,  and  finally  stole  out  a  soft  hand  and 
slipped  it  into  Carol's,  pressing  her  fingers  as  if  to  make  her 
ki,ow  she  understood.  Then  they  lifted  up  their  voices  again 
ovsr  the  same  hymn-book: 

"  Thine  earthly  Sabbaths,  Lord,  we  love, 
But  there's  a  nobler  rest  above ; 
To  that  our  longing  souls  aspire 
With  cheerful  hope  and  strong  desire." 

Graham  looked  about  on  the  group  as  they  sang,  his  own 
fine  tenor  joining  in  the  words,  his  eyes  lingering  on  the 
earnest  face  of  his  little  sister  as  she  stood  arm  in  arm  with 
the  other  girl,  and  was  suddenly  thrilled  with  the  thought  of 
what  a  Sabbath  might  be,  kept  in  this  way.  It  had  never 
appealed  to  him  quite  like  that  before.  Sabbath-keeping  had 
seemed  a  dry,  thankless  task  for  a  few  fanatics;  now  a  new 
possibility  loomed  vaguely  in  his  mind.  He  could  see  that 
people  like  this  could  really  make  the  Sabbath  something  to 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  153 

love,  not  just  a  day  to  loll  through  and  pass  the  time  away. 

When  they  finally  went  away  there  was  just  a  streak  of 
dull  red  left  in  the  western  horizon  where  the  day  had  dis- 
appeared, and  all  the  air  was  seething  with  sweet  night 
sounds  and  odors,  the  dampness  of  the  swamps  striking  coolly 
in  their  faces  as  the  car  sped  along. 

"  Sidney/'  said  Elizabeth  after  a  long  time,  "  did  you  ever 
feel  as  if  God  were  real  ?  " 

"  Why,  how  do  you  mean,  kid  ?  "  asked  the  brother,  rather 
embarrassed.  These  subjects  were  not  discussed  at  all  in  the 
Graham  household. 

"Did  you  ever  feel  as  if  there  really  was  a  God  some- 
where, like  a  person,  that  could  see  and  hear  you  and  know 
what  you  did  and  how  you  felt  to  Him?  Because  they  do. 
Carol  said  they  didn't  sing  '  Tipperary  '  on  Sunday  because 
it  didn't  seem  quite  respectful  to  God,  and  I  could  see  she 
really  meant  it.  It  wasn't  just  because  her  mother  said  she 
had  to  or  anything  like  that.  She  thought  so  herself/' 

"  H'm !  "  said  Graham  thoughtfully.  "  Well,  they're  rather 
remarkable  people,  I  think." 

"Well,  I  think  so  too,  and  I  think  it's  about  time  you 
fixed  it  up  with  mamma  to  let  Carol  come  and  visit  me." 

"I'm  going  to  get  mothei  to  go  out  there  and  call  this 
week  if  I  can,"  said  Graham  after  another  longer  pause,  and 
then  added:  "I  think  she  will  go  and  I  think  she  will  like 
them.  After  that  we'll  see,  kid.  Don't  you  worry.  They're 
nice,  all  right."  He  was  thinking  of  the  look  on  Shirley's 
face  as  she  sat  at  the  piano  playing  for  them  all  to  sing. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  first  few  days  in  the  new  home  were  filled  with 
wonder  and  delight  for  them  all.  They  just  could  not  get 
used  to  having  plenty  of  room  indoors,  with  all  outdoors  for 
a  playground.  Doris's  cheeks  took  on  a  lovely  pink,  and  her 
eyes  began  to  sparkle.  She  and  Harley  spent  all  day  out-of- 
doors.  They  were  making  a  garden.  Not  that  they  had  any 
experience  or  any  utensils.  There  was  an  old  hoe  and  a  broken 
spade  down  in  the  basement  of  the  barn,  and  with  these 
Harley  managed  to  remove  a  few  square  feet  of  young  turf, 
and  mellow  up  an  inch  or  two  of  soil  depth.  In  this  they 
planted  violet  roots  and  buttercups  and  daisies  which  they 
found  in  the  meadows.  Doris  had  a  corner  all  her  own,  with 
neat  rows  of  tiny  stones  from  the  brook  laid  in  elaborate 
baby-patterns  around  the  edge,  and  in  this  she  stuck  twigs 
and  weeds  of  all  descriptions,  and  was  never  daunted,  only 
pained  and  surprised  when  they  drooped  and  died  in  a  day  or 
two  and  had  to  be  supplanted  by  others. 

It  had  been  decided  that  Harley  was  to  stop  school  and 
stay  at  home  with  mother  and  Doris,  which  indeed  he  was 
quite  willing  to  do  under  the  glamour  of  the  new  life.  The 
school  itself  never  had  much  attraction  for  him,  and  "the 
fellows"  were  almost  forgotten  in  searching  for  angleworms 
and  building  dams  in  the  creek. 

Carol  went  to  high  school  every  morning  with  Shirley 
and  George  on  the  trolley.  There  were  only  six  more  weeks 
till  the  term  was  over,  and  it  was  better  for  Carol  to  finish 
out  her  year  and  get  her  credits.  Shirley  thought  they  could 
afford  the  extra  carfare  for  just  that  little  while,  and  so  all 
154 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  155 

day  long  mother  and  Doris  and  Harley  kept  quiet  home  in 
the  old  barn,  and  the  meadows  rang  with  Doris's  shouts  and 
Harley's  answers. 

One  day  the  doctor  came  out  in  his  machine  to  see  Mrs. 
Hollister  as  he  had  promised  to  do,  and  found  her  so  much 
Ibetter  that  he  told  her  she  might  get  up  and  go  .around  a 
little  while  every  day  if  she  was  very  careful  not  to  get  over- 
tired. He  prophesied  a  speedy  return  to  health  if  she  kept  on 
looking  happy  and  breathing  this  good  air.  He  praised  the 
good  sense  that  brought  her  out  into  the  country  to  live,  in 
preference  to  any  little  tucked-up  house  in  town,  and  said  if 
she  could  only  get  well  enough  to  work  outdoors  in  the  ground 
and  have  a  flower-bed  it  would  be  the  making  of  her.  Her 
eyes  brightened  at  that,  for  she  loved  flowers,  and  in  the  days 
of  her  youth  had  been  extremely  successful  at  making  things 
grow. 

The  doctor  was  deeply  interest  in  the  barn.  He  walked 
about  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  looking  the  rooms  over, 
as  delighted  as  a  child  at  seeing  a  new  mechanical  toy. 

"  Well,  now  this  is  great !  "  he  said  heartily.  "  This  is 
simply  great!  I  admire  you  people  for  having  the  nerve  to 
go  against  conventionality  and  come  out  here.  If  I  had  a 
few  more  patients  who  could  be  persuaded  to  go  out  into  the 
country  and  take  some  of  the  unused  old  barns  and  fix  them 
up  to  live  in,  I'd  have  to  change  my  occupation.  It's  a  great 
idea,  and  I  mean  to  recommend  it  to  others  if  you  don't  mind. 
Only  I  doubt  if  I  find  two  others  who  have  the  nerve  to 
follow  your  example/' 

The  invalid  laughed. 

"Why,  doctor,  I  can't  see  the  nerve.  We  really  hadn't 
any  choice.  We  couldn't  find  a  decent  place  that  we  could 


156  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

afford,  and  this  was  big  and  healthful  and  cost  less  than  thd 
worst  little  tenement  that  would  have  done  in  town.  Any- 
one would  be  a  fool  not  to  have  come  here." 

"  Mrs.  Hollister,  do  you  know  that  most  people  would 
rather  starve  and  swelter,  yes — and  die  in  a  conventional 
house,  than  to  do  such  an  unheard-of  thing  as  to  live  in  a 
barn,  no  matter  how  delightful  that  barn  might  be  ?  You  are 
a  great  little  woman,  Mrs.  Hollister,  and  you  deserve  to  get 
well,  and  to  see  your  children  prosper.  And  they  will.  They 
have  the  right  spirit.5' 

After  his  visit  Mrs.  Hollister  began  to  get  up  a  little 
while  every  day,  and  her  improvement  in  health  was  rapid. 
She  even  ventured  out  to  see  Doris's  garden  and  watch  the 
"budie"  in  his  nest  in  the  tree. 

One  day  a  drayman  stopped  at  the  place  and  left  several 
great  rolls  of  chicken-wire,  and  a  couple  of  big  crates.  One 
crate  was  bigger  than  the  other  and  contained  half  a  dozen 
big  yellow  hens  and  a  beautiful  rooster.  The  small  crate 
held  two  lovely  white  rabbits. 

The  children  hovered  joyfully  over  the  crates. 

"  Mine  wabbits ! "  declared  Doris  solemnly.  "  Nice  Mistah 
Dwaham  give  Doris  wabbits." 

"Did  Mr.  Graham  say  he  was  going  to  send  you  some 
rabbits  ?  "  questioned  her  mother. 

"  'Es.  He  did  say  he  was  goin'  to  sen'  me  some  wabbits. 
On  'e  way  fum  chutch  in  big  oughtymobeel.  He  did  say  he 
would  give  me  wabbits.  Oh,  mine  wabbits !  "  Doris  was  in 
ecstasy. 

;Mrs.  Hollister  looked  at  the  big  rolls  of  wire  questioningly; 

"  George  and  I  told  him  we  wanted  some  chickens.  I  gnesa 
that's  why  he  sent  'em,"  announced  Harley  excitedly. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  157 

"  I  hope  you  boys  didn't  hint.  That's  very  bad  manners. 
You  know  I  can't  have  Mr.  Graham  giving  you  such  expensive 
presents;  it  won't  do,  dear." 

"  No,  mother,  we  didn't  hint.  George  just  asked  him  if 
he  minded  if  we  kept  chickens  here,  and  he  said  no,  indeed, 
he'd  like  to  go  into  the  business  himself.  He  said  he  used  to 
have  a  lot  of  his  own  when  he  was  a  boy,  and  he  guessed  there 
was  a  lot  of  wire  from  the  old  chicken-run  around  at  his  place 
yet.  If  there  was,  there  wasn't  any  reason  why  it  shouldn't 
be  in  use,  and  he'd  look  it  up.  He  said,  if  it  was,  he  and  we'd 
go  into  business.  He'd  furnish  the  tools  and  we  could  do  the 
work,  and  maybe  some  day  we  could  sell  eggs  and  make  it  pay." 

"  That's  very  kind  of  him,  I'm  sure.  But,  Harley,  that 
looks  like  new  wire.  It  isn't  the  least  bit  rusted." 

"  It's  galvanized,  mother.  Galvanized  wire  doesn't  rust, 
don't  you  know  that  ?  "  said  Harley  in  a  superior,  man's  voice. 

Harley  and  Doris  were  wild  over  their  pets,  and  could  do 
nothing  all  that  day  but  hover  about  them,  and  the  minute 
George  arrived  the  boys  went  out  to  see  about  putting  up 
some  of  the  wire  and  making  a  temporary  abode  for  the 
creatures  until  they  could  get  time  to  plan  an  elaborate 
chicken-run. 

Before  dark  Graham  arrived.  He  had  brought  a  book  on 
chicken-raising  and  had  a  good  many  suggestions  to  offer. 
With  him  in  the  frorx  seat  of  the  car  rode  a  great  golden- 
brown  dog  with  a  white-starred  face,  great  affectionate  eyes, 
and  a  plumy  white  tail.  He  bounded  floppily  out  after 
Graham  and  came  affably  up  to  the  door  as  if  he  understood 
everything ;  and  at  sight  of  him  the  children  went  wild. 

"  I  brought  this  fellow  along,  thinking  perhaps  you'd  like 
him  to  help  look  after  things  here.  He's  only  a  puppy,  but 


158  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

he's  a  good  breed,  and  I  think  you'll  find  him  a  splendid 
watch-dog.  You  don't  need  to  keep  him,  of  course,  if  you 
don't  want  him,  Mrs.  Hollister,  but  I  thought  out  in  the 
country  this  way  it  might  be  as  well  for  you  to  have  him  on 
guard,  at  night  especially.  He'll  be  good  company  for  the 
children.  We've  got  BO  many  of  them  that  we  want  to  give 
this  one  away/' 

And  what  was  there  to  do  but  accept  hmt  with  thanks,  a 
dog  like  that  begging  for  a  home,  and  a  ha /no  like  that  really 
needing  a  dog? 

So  the  dog  was  promptly  accepted  as  a  member  of  the 
family,  was  named  Star,  and  accepted  the  overtures  of  his 
devoted  worshippers  in  many  amiable  waggings  of  tail  and  a 
wide  puppy  laugh  on  his  face.  He  stayed  behind  most  con^ 
tentedly  when  Graham  departed  after  a  long  conference 
with  George  and  Harley  over  the  "  chicken  "  book,  and  a  long 
discussion  in  the  back  yard  as  to  the  best  place  for  the  chicken- 
run.  He  seemed  to  know  from  the  start  that  he  had  come  tc 
stay,  that  this  was  his  "  job  "  and  he  was  on  it  for  life. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Mrs.  Hollister  went  to  sleep  thas 
night  with  more  content,  knowing  that  big,  floppy,  deep- 
voiced  dog  was  lying  across  the  door  out  in  the  living-room. 
The  hillside  had  seemed  a  bit  lonely  at  night,  though  she  had 
never  admitted  it  even  to  herself  before,  and  she  was  glad  the 
iog  had  come.  That  night  in  the  little  prayer  that  she  said 
3very  night  with  all  her  children  gathered  about  her  couch  in 
front  of  the  fire,  she  added,  "  We  thank  Thee,  oh,  Lord,  for 
sending  us  such  good  kind  friends  to  make  the  world  so  much 
happier  for  us." 

A  few  days  later  Mrs.  Graham  came  to  call. 

Her  son  did  not  explain  to  her  anything  about  the  Hoi- 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  159 

listers,  nor  say  a  word  about  the  place  where  they  were  living. 
He  merely  remarked  casually :  "  Mother,  there  are  some  people 
I'd  like  you  to  call  on  if  you  don't  mind.  They  live  out 
Glenside  way,  and  I'll  take  you  any  afternoon  you  have 
time." 

"  I  really  haven't  much  time  now  before  we  go  to  the 
shore,  Sidney,"  she  said.  "  Couldn't  they  wait  till  the  fall 
when  we  return  ?  " 

"  No,  mother,  I'd  like  you  to  call  now.  It  needn't  take 
you  long,  and  I  think  you'll  like  them — her — Mrs.  Hollister, 
I  mean.  Can't  you  go  this  afternoon  ?  I'll  call  for  you  with 
the  car  anywhere  you  say,  along  about  half-past  four  or  five 
o'clock.  It  will  be  a  pleasant  little  drive  and  rest  you." 

"  Shall  I  have  to  be  much  dressed  ?  "  asked  the  mother 
thoughtfully,  "because  I  shouldn't  have  time  for  an  elab- 
orate toilet.  I  have  to  go  to  Madame's  for  a  fitting,  meet 
with  the  Red  Cross  committee,  drop  in  at  the  hospital  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  see  Mrs.  Sheppard  and  Mrs.  Follette  about 
our  Alumni  Anniversary  banquet." 

"Just  wear  something  simple,  mother.  They  are  not 
society  people.  It's  you  I  want  to  show  them,  not  your 
clothes." 

"  You  ridiculous  boy !  You're  as  unsophisticated  as  your 
father.  Well,  I'll  be  ready  at  half-past  four.  You  may  call 
for  me  then  at  the  Century  Building." 

Elizabeth  had  been  loyal  to  her  brother's  commands  and 
nad  said  nothing  about  her  new-found  friend,  awaiting  his 
permission.  Graham  earnestly  discussed  the  pros  and  cons 
of  woman's  suffrage  with  his  mother  during  the  drive  out, 
BO  that  she  was  utterly  unprejudiced  by  any  former  ideas 
concerning  the  Hollisters,  which  ^as  exactly  what  her  son 


160  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

desired  her  to  be.  He  knew  that  his  mother  was  a  woman  of 
the  world,  and  hedged  about  by  conventions  of  all  sorts,  but 
he  also  knew  her  to  be  fair  in  her  judgments  when  once  she 
saw  a  thing  right,  and  a  keen  reader  of  character.  He  wanted 
her  to  see  the  Hollisters  without  the  least  bit  of  a  chance  to 
•judge  them  beforehand. 

So  when  the  car  drew  up  in  front  of  the  old  barn  Mrs. 
Graham  was  quite  unprepared  to  have  her  son  get  out  and 
open  the  car  door  and  say,  "Mother,  this  is  the  place:  may 
I  help  you  out  ?  "  She  had  been  talking  earnestly,  and  had 
thought  he  was  getting  out  to  look  after  something  wrong 
about  the  car.  Now  she  looked  up  startled. 

"Why,  Sidney!  Why,  you  must  have  made  a  mistake! 
This  isn't  a  house ;  it  is  a  barn !  " 

"  This  is  the  place,  mother.  Just  come  right  up  this 
way." 

Mrs.  Graham  picked  her  way  over  the  short  green  turf  up 
to  the  door  and  stood  astonished  while  her  son  knocked.  What 
in  the  world  did  he  mean?  Was  this  one  of  his  jokes?  Had  he 
brought  her  out  to  see  a  new  riding-horse  ?  That  must  be  it, 
of  course.  He  was  always  taking  a  fancy  to  a  horse  or  a  dog. 
She  really  hadn't  the  time  to  spare  for  nonsense  this  after- 
noon, but  one  must  humor  one's  son  once  in  a  while.  She 
stepped  back  absent-mindedly,  her  eyes  resting  on  the  soft 
greens  and  purples  of  the  foliage  across  the  meadows,  her 
thoughts  on  the  next  paper  she  intended  to  write  for  the  club. 
This  incident  would  soon  be  over,  and  then  she  might  pursue 
the  even  tenor  of  her  busy  way. 

Then  the  door  slid  back  and  she  became  aware  of  some- 
thing unusual  in  the  tenseness  of  the  moment.  Looking  up 
quickly  she  saw  a  beautiful  girl  of  about  Elizabeth's  age, 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  161 

with  a  wealth  of  dark  wavy  hair,  lovely  dark  eyes,  and  vivid 
coloring,  and  by  her  side  one  of  the  loveliest  golden-haired, 
blue-eyed  babies  she  had  ever  seen  in  her  life.  In  the  wonder 
of  the  moment  she  forgot  that  the  outside  of  the  building 
had  been  a  barn,  for  the  curtain  had  risen  on  a  new  setting, 
and  here  on  the  very  threshold  there  opened  before  her 
amazed  eyes  a  charming,  homelike  room. 

At  first  she  did  not  take  in  any  of  the  details  of  furnish- 
ings. Everything  was  tastefully  arranged,  and  the  dull  tones 
of  wall  and  floor  and  ceiling  in  the  late  afternoon  light  mel- 
lowed the  old  furniture  into  its  background  so  perfectly  that 
the  imperfections  and  make-shifts  did  not  appear.  It  was 
just  a  place  of  comfort  and  beauty,  eyen  though  the  details 
might  show  shabby  poverty. 

But  her  son  was  speaking. 

"  Mother,  this  is  Miss  Carol  Hollister,  and  this  little  girl 
is  her  sister  Doris " 

Doris  put  out  a  fat  hand  and  gravely  laid  it  in  the  lady's 
kid  glove,  saying  carefully,  with  shy  lashes  drooped  sideways, 
and  blue  eyes  furtively  searching  the  stranger's  face, 

"How  oo  do?" 

Then  as  if  she  had  performed  her  duty,  she  turned  on  her 
smiles  and  dimples  with  a  flash,  and  grasping  Graham's  hand 
said, 

"  Now,  Mistah  Dwa'm,  oo  turn  out  an'  see  my  wabbits ! " 

It  was  evident  to  the  mother  that  her  son  had  been  here 
before.  She  looked  at  him  for  an  explanation,  but  he  only 
eaid  to  Carol, 

"  Is  your  mother  able  to  see  callers  for  a  few  minutes  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Carol  with  a  glad  little  ring  in  her  voice. 
"  Mother  is  up  in  a  chair  this  afternoon.  See !  The  doctor 


162  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

says  she  may  get  up  now,  she  is  so  much  better ! "  and  she 
turned  and  flung  out  her  arm  toward  the  big  easy  chair  where 
her  mother  sat. 

Mrs.  Hollister  arose  and  came  forward  to  meet  them. 

She  was  dressed  in  a  plain  little  gown  of  cheap  gray 
challis,  much  washed  and  mended,  but  looking  somehow  very 
nice;  and  Carol  had  just  finished  fastening  one  of  Shirley's 
sheer  white  fluffy  collars  around  her  neck,  with  a  bit  of  a 
pink  ribbon  looped  in  a  pretty  knot.  Her  hair  was  tastefully 
arranged,  and  she  looked  every  inch  a  lady  as  she  stood  to 
receive  her  unexpected  guests.  Graham  had  never  seen  her 
in  any  but  invalid's  garb  before,  and  he  stood  amazed  for  a 
moment  at  the  likeness  between  her  and  Shirley.  He  intro- 
duced his  mother  with  a  few  words,  and  then  yielded  to 
Doris's  eager,  pulling  hand  and  went  out  to  see  the  bunnies. 

The  situation  was  a  trifle  trying  for  both  ladies,  but  to  the 
woman  of  the  world  perhaps  the  more  embarrassing.  She 
hadn't  a  clew  as  to  who  this  was  she  had  been  brought  to  see. 
She  was  entirely  used  to  dominating  any  situation,  but  for  a 
moment  she  was  almost  confused. 

Mrs.  Hollister,  however,  tactfully  relieved  the  situation, 
with  a  gentle,  "  Won't  you  sit  here  by  the  fire  ?  It  is  getting 
a  little  cool  this  evening,  don't  you  think  ?  "  and  put  her  at 
once  at  her  ease.  Only  her  family  would  have  guessed  from 
the  soft  pink  spots  in  her  cheeks  that  she  was  at  all  excited 
over  her  grand  guest.  She  took  the  initiative  at  once,  leading 
the  talk  into  natural  channels,  about  the  spring  and  its  won- 
derful unfolding  in  the  country,  exhibited  a  vase  with  jack- 
in-the-pulpits,  and  a  glass  bowl  of  hepaticas  blushing  blue  and 
pink,  told  of  the  thrush  that  had  built  a  nest  in  the  elm 
over  the  door,  and  pointed  out  the  view  over  the  valley  wher* 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  163 

the  sinking  sun  was  flashing  crimson  from  the  weather-vane 
on  the  little  white  spire  of  the  church.  She  said  how  much 
they  had  enjoyed  the  sunsets  since  coming  out  here  to  live, 
taking  it  for  granted  that  her  visitor  knew  all  about  their 
circumstances,  and  making  no  apologies  or  comments;  and 
the  visitor,  being  what  her  son  called  "  a  good  sport,"  showed 
no  hint  that  she  had  never  heard  of  the  Hollisters  before,  but 
smiled  and  said  the  right  thing  at  the  right  moment.  And 
somehow,  neither  knew  just  how,  they  got  to  the  subject  of 
Browning  and  Ibsen,  and  from  there  to  woman's  suffrage, 
and  when  Graham  returned  with  Carol  and  Harley,  Doris 
chattering  beside  him  and  the  dog  bounding  in  ahead,  they 
were  deep  in  future  politics.  Graham  sat  and  listened  for 
a  while,  interested  to  note  that  the  quiet  little  woman  who 
had  spent  the  last  few  years  of  her  life  working  in  a  narrow 
dark  city  kitchen  could  talk  as  thoughtfully  and  sensibly  as 
his  cultured,  versatile  mother. 

The  next  trolley  brought  Shirley  and  George,  and  again 
the  mother  was  amazed  to  find  how  altogether  free  and  easy 
seemed  to  be  the  relation  between  all  these  young  people. 

She  gave  a  keen  look  at  Shirley,  and  then  another  at  her 
son,  but  saw  nothing  which  gave  her  uneasiness.  The  girl 
was  unconscious  as  a  rose,  and  sweet  and  gracious  to  the 
stranger  guests  as  if  she  had  been  in  society  all  her  life.  She 
slipped  away  at  once  to  remove  her  hat,  and  when  she  came 
back  her  hair  was  brushed,  and  she  looked  as  fresh  as  a  flower 
in  her  clean  white  ruffled  blouse.  The  older  woman  could  not 
take  her  eyes  frum  her  face.  What  a  charming  girl  to  be  set 
among  all  this  shabbiness !  For  by  this  time  her  discriminat- 
ing eyes  had  discovered  that  everything — literally  everything 
was  shabby.  Who  were  these  people,  and  how  did  they  hap- 


164  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

pen  to  get  put  here?  The  baby  was  ravishingly  beautiful, 
the  girls  were  charming,  and  the  boys  looked  like  splendid, 
manly  fellows.  The  mother  was  a  product  of  culture  and 
refinement.  Not  one  word  or  action  had  shown  that  she 
knew  her  surroundings  were  shabby.  She  might  have  been 
mistress  of  a  palace  for  aught  she  showed  of  consciousness  of 
the  pitiful  poverty  about  her.  It  was  as  if  she  were  just 
dropped  down  for  the  day  in  a  stray  barn  and  making  a 
palace  out  of  it  while  she  stayed. 

Unconsciously  the  woman  of  the  world  lingered  longer 
than  was  her  wont  in  making  calls.  She  liked  the  atmosphere, 
and  was  strangely  interested  by  them  all. 

"  I  wish  you  would  come  and  see  me/'  she  said  cordially 
as  she  rose  at  last  to  go,  and  she  said  it  as  if  she  meant  it, — 
as  if  she  lived  right  around  the  corner  and  not  twenty-two 
miles  away, — as  if  she  really  wanted  her  to  come,  and  not  as 
if  this  other  woman  lived  in  a  barn  at  all. 

"  Good  old  sport ! "  commented  her  son  in  his  heart  as  he 
listened.  He  had  known  she  must  see  their  worth,  and  yet  he 
had  been  strangely  afraid. 

Mrs.  Hollister  received  the  invitation  with  a  flush  of 
pleasure. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  answered  graciously,  "  I'm  afraid  not. 
I  seldom  go  anywhere  any  more.  But  I've  been  very  glad  to 
have  had  this  call  from  you.  It  will  be  a  pleasure  to  think 
about.  Come  sometime  again  when  you  are  out  this  way. 
Your  son  has  been  most  kind.  I  cannot  find  words  to  express 
my  thanks." 

"  Has  he  ?  "  and  his  mother  looked  questioningly  at  her 
son.  "  Well,  I'm  very  glad " 

"Yes,  and  Elizabeth!  She  is  a  dear  sweet  girl,  and  we 
all  love  her!" 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  165 

Revelations ! 

"Oh,  has  Elizabeth  been  here  too?  Well,  I'm  glad.  I 
hope  she  has  not  been  a  nuisance.  She's  such  an  impulsive, 
erratic  child.  Elizabeth  is  quite  a  problem  just  now.  She's 
out  of  school  on  account  of  her  eyes,  and  her  girl  friends, 
most  of  them,  being  away  at  school,  she  is  perfectly  forlorn. 
I  am  delighted  to  have  her  with  your  children.  I  am  sure 
they  are  charming  associates  for  her."  And  her  eyes  rested 
approvingly  on  the  sparkling  Carol  in  her  simple  school  dress 
of  brown  linen  with  its  white  collar  and  cuffs.  There  was 
nothing  countrified  about  Carol.  She  looked  dainty  in  the 
commonest  raiment,  and  she  smiled  radiantly  at  Elizabeth's 
mother  and  won  her  heart. 

"Would  you  let  Elizabeth  stay  overnight  with  us  here 
sometime?"  she  asked  shyly. 

"  Why,  surely !  I  presume  she  would  be  delighted.  She 
does  about  as  she  pleases  these  days.  I  really  don't  see  very 
much  of  her,  I'm  so  busy  this  time  of  year,  just  at  the  end  of 
the  season,  you  know,  and  lots  of  committee  meetings  and  teas 
and  things." 

They  stopped  at  the  doorway  to  look  up  into  the  big  tree, 
in  response  to  the  earnest  solicitations  of  Doris,  who  pulled 
at  the  lady's  gloved  hand  insistently^  murmuring  sweetly: 

"  Budie !    Budie !    See  mine  budie  in  the  twee !  " 

The  Hollisters  stood  grouped  at  the  doorway  when  at  last 
the  visitors  got  into  their  car  and  went  away.  Mrs.  Graham 
looked  back  at  them  wistfully. 

"  What  a  lovely  group  they  make !  "  she  murmured.  "  Now, 
Sidney,  tell  me  at  once  who  they  are  and  why  they  live  in  a 
barn,  and  why  you  brought  me  out  here.  I  know  you  had 
some  special  object.  I  knew  the  minute  I  saw  that  charming 


166  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Mother,  you  certainly  are  great !  I  thought  you'd  have 
the  good  sense  to  see  what  they  are/' 

"  Why,  I  haven't  spent  a  more  delightful  hour  in  a  long 
time  than  I  spent  talking  with  her.  She  has  very  original 
ideas,  and  she  expresses  herself  well.  As  for  the  children, 
they  are  lovely.  That  oldest  girl  has  a  great  deal  of  char- 
acter in  her  face.  But  what  are  they  doing  in  a  barn, 
Sidney,  and  how  did  you  come  to  know  them  ?  " 

And  so,  as  they  speeded  out  the  smooth  turnpike  to  their 
lovely  home  Sidney  Graham  told  his  mother  as  much  of  the 
story  of  Shirley  Hollister  and  the  old  barn  as  he  thought  she 
would  care  to  know,  and  his  mother  sat  thoughtfully 
watching  his  handsome,  enthusiastic  face  while  he  talked,  and 
wondering. 

One  comment  she  made  as  they  swept  up  the  beautiful 
drive  to  their  luxurious  country  home: 

"  Sidney  dear,  they  are  delightful  and  all  that,  and  I'm 
sure  I'm  glad  to  have  that  little  girl  come  to  see  Elizabeth, 
but  if  I  were  you  I  wouldn't  go  out  there  too  often  when 
that  handsome  oldest  girl  is  at  home.  She's  not  exactly  in 
your  set,  you  know,  charming  as  she  is,  and  you  wouldn't 
want  to  give  her  any  ideas.  A  gentleman  looks  out  for 
things  like  that,  you  know." 

"  What  has  being  in  our  set  got  to  do  with  it,  mother  dear  ? 
Do  you  know  any  girl  in  our  set  that  is  better-looking  or  has 
nicer  manners,  or  a  finer  appreciation  of  nature  and  books? 
You  ought  to  hear  her  talk !  " 

"Yes,  but,  Sidney,  that  isn't  everything!  She  isn't 
exactly " 

"Mother,  were  you  and  father,  when  you  used  to  have 
good  times  together?  Now,  mother,  you  know  you  are  just 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  167 

talking  twaddle  when  you  let  that  idea  about  '  our  set '  rule 
your  mind.  Be  a  good  sport,  mother  dear,  and  look  the  facts 
in  the  face.  That  girl  is  as  good  as  any  other  girl  I  know, 
and  you  know  it.  She's  better  than  most.  Please  admit  the 
facts.  Yet  you  never  warned  me  to  be  careful  about  calling 
on  any  of  the  girls  in  our  set.  Do  please  be  consistent.  How- 
ever, don't  worry  about  me.  I've  no  idea  at  present  of  paying 
any  special  attention  to  anybody,"  and  he  swung  the  car  door 
«pen  and  jumped  down  to  help  her  out. 


bb-ow  *>d  libwia  w 


CHAPTER  XV 

A  MAN  arrived  one  morning  with  a  horse  and  a  plough  and 
several  other  implements  of  farm  life  of  which  Harley  didn't 
know  the  name,  and  announced  that  Mr.  Graham  had  sent 
him  to  plough  the  garden.  Would  Mrs.  Hollister  please  tell 
him  where  she  wanted  the  ground  broken,  and  how  much? 
He  volunteered  the  information  that  he  was  her  next  neigh- 
bor, and  that  if  he  was  in  her  place  he'd  plough  the  south 
elope  of  the  meadow,  and  if  she  wanted  flower-beds  a  strip 
along  the  front  near  the  road;  the  soil  was  best  in  those 
spots,  and  she  wouldn't  need  so  much  fertilizer. 

Mrs.  Hollister  asked  him  how  much  he  would  charge  to 
do  it,  and  he  said  a  little  job  like  that  wasn't  worth  talking 
about;  that  he  used  to  rent  the  barn  himself,  and  he  always 
did  a  little  turn  for  Mr.  Graham  whenever  he  needed  it.  He 
did  it  for  Mr.  Graham,  and  it  wouldn't  cost  her  "nothin'." 

Mrs.  Hollister  asked  him  how  much  he  would  charge  to 
see  where  it  would  be  best  to  have  the  ploughing  done,  and 
when  she  came  in  a  few  minutes  later  and  dropped  down  on 
the  couch  to  rest  from  her  unusual  fatigue  a  new  thought 
was  racing  through  her  mind.  They  could  have  a  garden,  a 
real  garden,  with  lettuce  and  green  peas  and  lima  beans  and 
corn !  She  knew  all  about  making  them  grow.  She  had  been 
brought  up  in  a  little  village  home,  where  a  garden  was  a  part 
of  every  one's  necessary  equipment  for  living.  She  used  to 
kelp  her  father  every  spring  and  all  summer.  Her  own  littk 
patch  always  took  the  prize  of  the  family.  But  for  years  she 
had  been  in  the  city  without  an  inch  of  space.  Now,  how- 
168 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  169 

ever,  the  old  fever  of  delight  in  gardening  took  possession  of 
her.  If  she  could  get  out  and  work  in  the  ground,  as  the  doctor 
had  suggested,  she  would  get  well  right  away.  And  why,  with 
Harley  to  help,  and  George  and  Carol  to  work  a  little  every 
evening,  couldn't  they  raise  enough  on  all  that  ground  to  sell 
some  ?  George  could  take  things  into  town  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, or  they  could  find  some  private  families  who  would  buy 
all  they  had  to  sell.  It  was  worth  thinking  about,  anyway. 
She  could  raise  flowers  for  sale,  too.  She  had  always  been  a 
success  with  flowers.  She  had  always  wanted  a  hothouse  and 
a  chance  to  experiment.  She  heard  the  children  say  there 
were  some  old  window-sashes  down  under  the  barn.  She 
would  get  George  to  bring  them  out,  and  see  what  she  could 
do  with  a  coldframe  or  two.  Violets  would  grow  under  a 
coldframe,  and  a  lot  of  other  things.  Oh,  if  they  could  only 
just  live  here  always,  and  not  have  to  go  back  to  the  city  in 
the  fall !  But  of  course  there  was  no  way  to  heat  the  barn  in 
winter,  and  that  was  out  of  the  question.  Nevertheless,  the 
idea  of  making  some  money  with  growing  things  had  seized 
hold  of  her  mind  and  would  not  be  entirely  put  by.  She 
thought  of  it  much,  and  talked  of  it  now  and  then  to  Shirley 
and  the  other  children. 

Shirley  brought  home  some  packages  of  seeds  she  got  at 
the  ten-cent  store,  and  there  was  great  excitement  planting 
them.  Then  Mr.  Graham  sent  over  a  lot  of  seeds,  of  both 
vegetables  and  flowers,  and  some  shrubs,  puttings  and  bulbs 
which  he  said  were  "  left-overs  "  at  their  country  house  that 
he  thought  perhaps  the  children  could  use ;  and  so  before  the 
Hollisters  knew  it  they  were  possessed  of  a  garden,  which 
almost  in  a  breath  lifted  up  its  green  head  and  began  to  grow, 

Life  was  very  full  for  the  Hollisters  in  those  days,  and 


170  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

those  who  went  to  the  city  for  the  day  could  hardly  bear  to 
tear  themselves  away  from  the  many  delights  of  the  country. 
The  puppy  was  getting  bigger  and  wiser  every  day,  tagging 
Doris  and  Harley  wherever  they  went,  or  sitting  adoringly  at 
Mrs.  Hollister's  feet ;  always  bounding  out  to  meet  the  evening 
trolley  on  which  George  and  Shirley  came,  and  always  attend- 
ing them  to  the  trolley  in  the  morning. 

Out  behind  the  barn  a  tiny  coop  held  a  white  hen  and  her 
seven  little  downy  balls  of  chickens.  Another  hen  was  hap- 
pily ensconced  in  a  barrel  of  hay  with  ten  big  blue  duck- 
eggs  under  her  happy  wings,  and  a  little  further  down  toward 
the  creek  a  fine  chicken-run  ended  in  a  trig  little  roosting- 
place  for  the  poultry,  which  George  had  manufactured  out 
of  a  packing-box  and  some  boards.  The  feathered  family  had 
been  increased  by  two  white  Leghorns  and  three  bantams. 
George  and  Harley  spent  their  evenings  watching  them  and 
discussing  the  price  of  eggs  and  chickens  per  pound.  They 
were  all  very  happy. 

Elizabeth  came  out  to  spend  Sunday  as  she  had  promised. 
She  got  up  early  to  see  the  sun  rise  and  watch  the  birds.  She 
helped  get  breakfast  and  wash  the  dishes.  Then  she  went  with 
the  others  across  the  fields  to  the  little  white  church  in  the 
valley  to  Sunday-school  and  church.  She  was  as  hungry  and 
eager  as  any  of  them  when  she  came  home,  and  joyfully 
helped  to  do  the  work,  taking  great  pride  in  the  potatoes  she 
was  allowed  to  warm  up  under  careful  tutelage.  In  the 
afternoon  there  was  no  more  eager  listener  among  them  to 
the  Bible  story  Shirley  told  to  Doris  and  the  book  she  read 
aloud  to  them  all  afterward;  her  voice  was  sweetest  and 
.clearest  of  them  all  in  the  hymns  they  sang  together;  and  she 
was  most  eager  to  go  with  Shirley  to  the,  Christian  Endeavor 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  171 

"  1  shouldn't  wonder  if  Sidney  wishes  he  was  here  too/1 
she  remarked  dreamily  that  evening,  as  she  sat  before  the  fir? 
on  a  little  cushion,  her  chin  in  her  hands,  her  eyes  on  thd 
fantastic  shadows  in  the  ashes. 

She  went  to  school  with  Carol  the  next  morning,  came 
home  with  her  in  the  afternoon,  and  when  her  brother  came 
for  her  in  the  evening  she  was  most  reluctant  to  go  home  to 
the  big,  lonely,  elegant  house  again,  and  begged  that  Carol 
might  soon  come  and  see  her. 

Friday  afternoon  Elizabeth  called  up  Mrs.  Hollister. 

"  Please,  Mrs.  Hollister,  let  Carol  come  and  stay  with  me 
till  Monday.  I'm  so  lonesome,  and  mamma  says  she  will  be 
so  glad  if  you  will  let  her  come/' 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  that  would  be  impossible.  Carol  isn't 
suitably  dressed  to  make  a  visit,  you  know,"  answered  tha 
mother  quickly,  glad  that  she  had  so  good  an  excuse  for  keep- 
ing her  child  from  this  venture  into  an  alien  world  about 
which  she  had  many  grave  doubts. 

But  the  young  voice  at  the  other  end  of  the  telephone 
was  insistent. 

"  Dear  Mrs.  Hollister,  please !  She  doesn't  need  any  other 
clothes.  I've  got  lots  of  things  that  would  fit  her.  She  loaned 
me  her  gingham  dress  to  make  garden  in,  and  why  shouldn't 
I  loan  her  a  dress  to  wear  on  Sunday?  I've  got  plenty  of 
clean  middy  blouses  and  skirts  and  can  fix  her  all  out  fresb 
for  school,  too,  Monday  morning,  and  if  you'll  just  let  her 
stay  Sidney  will  take  us  both  down  to  her  school  when  he 
goes  to  the  office.  You've  got  all  those  children  there  at 
home,  and  I've  only  myself.  Sidney  doesn't  count,  you  know, 
for  he's  grown  up." 

So,  with  a  sigh,  the  mother  gave  her  consent,  and  Carol 


172  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

found  the  Graham  car  waiting  for  her  when  she  came  out  of 
school.  Thus  she  started  on  her  first  venture  into  the  world. 

It  was  all  like  fairy-land  that  wonderful  week-end  to  the 
little  girl  whose  memories  were  full  of  burdens  and  sacrifices : 
the  palatial  home  of  many  rooms  and  rich  furnishings,  the 
swarm  of  servants,  the  anticipation  of  every  want,  the  wide, 
beautiful  grounds  with  all  that  heart  could  wish  in  the  way 
of  beauty  and  amusement,  the  music-room  with  grand  piano, 
harp,  and  violin  lying  mute  most  of  the  time,  the  great  library 
with  its  walls  lined  with  rare  books,  mostly  unread.  Every- 
thing there  to  satisfy  any  whim,  reasonable  or  unreasonable, 
and  nobody  using  any  of  it  much. 

"Not  a  room  in  the  whole  place  as  dear  and  cozy  and 
homey  as  this ! "  sighed  Carol  happily,  sinking  into  the  old 
denim-covered  couch  before  the  fireplace  in  the  barn-living- 
room  that  Monday  night  after  she  got  home.  "  I  declare, 
mother,  I  don't  see  how  Elizabeth  stands  it.  Her  mother  is 
nice,  but  she's  hardly  ever  there,  unless  she  has  a  swarm  of 
people  dinnering  or  teaing  or  lunching.  She  hardly  ever  has 
time  to  speak  to  Elizabeth,  and  Elizabeth  doesn't  seem  to 
care  much,  either.  She  almost  seems  to  think  more  of  that 
old  nurse  Susan  that  took  care  of  her  when  she  was  a  baby 
than  she  does  of  .her  mother.  I'm  so  glad  I  was  sent  to  you 
instead  of  to  her ! "  And  Carol  suddenly  slipped  across  the 
room  and  buried  her  face  in  her  mother's  neck,  hugging  and 
kissing  her,  leaving  a  few  bright  tears  on  her  mother's 
happy  face. 

It  was  a  wonderful  relief  to  Mrs.  Hollister  to  find  her 
child  unspoiled  by  her  first  experience  of  the  world  and  glad 
to  get  back  to  her  home,  after  all  the  anxiety  her  mother  heart 
had  felt.  Carol  presently  sat  up  and  told  them  minutely  all 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  173 

about  her  visit.  The  grand  concert  that  Sidney  had  taken 
them  to  Friday  evening  in  the  Academy  of  Music,  where  a 
world-renowned  pianist  was  the  soloist  with  the  great  sym- 
phony orchestra;  the  tennis  and  riding  Saturday  morning; 
the  luncheon  at  a  neighboring  estate,  where  there  were  three 
Igirls  and  a  brother  who  were  "  snobs  "  and  hadn't  at  all  good 
^manners;  the  party  in  the  evening  that  lasted  so  late  that 
they  didn't  get  to  bed  till  long  after  midnight;  the  beautiful 
room  they  slept  in,  with  every  imaginable  article  for  the  toilet 
done  in  sterling  silver  with  monograms;  the  strange  Sab- 
bath, with  no  service  in  the  morning  because  they  woke  up 
too  late,  and  no  suggestion  of  anything  but  a  holiday, — 
except  the  vesper  service  in  a  cold,  formal  chapel  that  Carol 
had  begged  to  go  to;  just  a  lot  of  worldly  music  and  enter- 
taming,  with  a  multitude  of  visitors  for  the  end  of  it.  Carol 
told  of  the  beautiful  dresses  that  Elizabeth  had  loaned  her, 
coral  crepe  de  chine  accordion-plaited  for  the  concert,  white 
with  an  orange  sash  for  the  luncheon,  pale  yellow  with  a 
black  velvet  girdle  for  the  party,  a  little  blue  silk  affair  and 
another  lovely  white  organdie  for  Sunday,  and  all  with  their 
accompanying  silk  stockings  and  slippers  and  gloves,  and 
necklaces  and  bands  for  her  hair.  It  was  most  wonderful  to 
her,  and  as  they  listened  they  marvelled  that  their  Carol  had 
come  back  to  them  so  gladly,  and  rejoiced  to  see  her  nestling 
in  her  brown  linen  skirt  and  middy  blouse  close  beside  her 
mother's  chair.  She  declared  herself  satisfied  with  her  flight 
into  the  world.  She  might  like  to  go  again  for  a  glimpse 
now  and  then,  but  she  thought  she  would  rather  have  Eliza- 
beth out  to  Glenside.  She  hated  to  lose  any  of  the  time  out 
here,  it  was  so  pretty.  Besides,  it  was  lonesome  without 
them  all. 

About  that  time  Shirley  picked  up  the  morning  paper  in 


174  THE  ENCiiANTED  BARN 

her  office  one  day  to  look  up  a  matter  for  Mr.  Barnard.  Her 
eye  happened  to  fall  on  the  society  column  and  catch  the 
name  of  Sidney  Graham.  She  glanced  down  the  column.  It 
was  an  account  of  a  wedding  in  high  circles  in  which  Graham 
had  taken  the  part  of  best  man,  with  Miss  Harriet  Hale — 
in  blue  tulle  and  white  orchids  as  maid  of  honor — for  his 
partner  down  the  aisle.  She  read  the  column  hurriedly, 
hungrily,  getting  every  detail,  white  spats,  gardenia,  and  allfc 
until  in  those  few  printed  sentences  a  picture  was  printed 
indelibly  upon  her  vision,  of  Graham  walking  down  the  lily- 
garlanded  aisle  with  the  maid  in  blue  tulle  and  white  orchids 
on  his  arm.  To  make  it  more  vivid  the  lady's  picture  was 
in  the  paper  along  with  Graham's,  just  under  those  of  the 
bride  and  groom,  and  her  face  was  both  handsome  and 
haughty.  One  could  tell  that  by  the  tilt  of  chin,  the  short 
upper  lip,  the  cynical  curve  of  mouth  and  sweep  of  long  eye- 
lash, the  extreme  effect  of  her  dress  and  the  arrangement  of 
her  hair.  Only  a  beauty  could  have  stood  that  hair  and  not 
been  positively  ugly. 

Shirley  suddenly  realized  what  she  was  doing  and  turned 
over  the  page  of  the  paper  with  a  jerk  that  tore  the  sheet 
from  top  to  bottom,  going  on  with  her  search  for  the  real- 
estate  column  and  the  item  she  was  after.  All  that  morning 
her  typewriter  keys  clicked  with  mad  rapidity,  yet  her  work 
was  strangely  correct  and  perfect.  She  was  working  under  a 
tense  strain. 

By  noon  she  had  herself  in  hand,  realized  what  she  had 
been  doing  with  her  vagrant  thoughts,  and  was  able  to  laugh 
at  Miss  Harriet  Hale — whoever  or  whatever  she  was.  What 
mattered  it,  Miss  Harriet  Hale  or  somebody  else  ?  What  was 
that  to  Shirley  Hollister?  Mr.  Graham  was  her  landlord 
and  a  kindly  gentleman.  He  would  probably  continue  to  be 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  175 

that  to  her  to  the  end  of  her  tenancy,  without  regard  to 
Miss  Hale  or  any  other  intruding  Miss,  and  what  did  any- 
thing else  matter?  She  wanted  nothing  else  of  Mr.  Graham 
but  to  be  a  kindly  gentleman  whenever  it  was  her  necessity 
to  come  in  his  way. 

But  although  her  philosophy  was  on  hand  and  her  pride 
was  aroused,  she  realized  just  where  her  heart  might  have 
Deen  tending  if  it  had  not  been  for  this  little  jolt  it  got; 
and  she  resolved  to  keep  out  of  the  gentleman's  way  when- 
ever it  was  possible,  and  also,  as  far  as  she  was  able,  to  think 
no  more  about  him. 

Keeping  out  of  Sidney  Graham's  way  was  one  thing,  but 
making  him  keep  out  of  her  way  was  quite  another  matter, 
and  Shirley  realized  it  every  time  he  came  out  to  Glenside, 
which  he  did  quite  frequently.  She  could  not  say  to  him  that 
she  wished  he  would  not  come.  She  could  not  be  rude  to  him. 
when  he  came.  There  was  no  way  of  showing  him  pointedly 
that  she  was  not  thinking  of  him  in  any  way  but  as  her  land- 
lord, because  he  never  showed  in  any  way  that  he  was  ex- 
pecting her  to.  He  just  happened  in  evening  after  evening, 
in  his  frank,  jolly  way,  on  one  pretext  or  other,  never  staying 
very  long,  never  showing  her  any  more  attention  than  he  did 
her  mother  or  Carol  or  the  boys,  not  so  much  as  he  did  to 
Doris.  How  was  she  to  do  anything  but  sit  quietly  and  take 
the  whole  thing  as  a  matter  of  course  ?  It  really  was  a  matter 
to  deal  with  in  her  own  heart  alone.  And  there  the  battle 
must  be  fought  if  ever  battle  there  was  to  be.  Meantime,  she 
could  not  but  own  that  this  frank,  smiling,  merry  young  man 
did  bring  a  lot  of  life  and  pleasure  into  their  lives,  dropping 
in  that  way,  and  why  should  she  not  enjoy  it  when  it  came, 
seeing  it  in  no  wise  interfered  with  Miss  Harriet  Hale's  rights 
tnd  prerogatives?  Nevertheless,  Shirley  withdrew  more  and 


176  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

more  into  quietness  whenever  he  came,  and  often  slipped  into 
the  kitchen  on  some  household  pretext,  until  one  day  be  boldly 
came  out  into  the  kitchen  after  her  with  a  book  he  wanted  her 
to  read,  and  was  so  frank  and  companionable  that  she  led 
the  way  back  to  the  living-room,  and  concluded  it  would  be 
better  in  future  to  stay  with  the  rest  of  the  family. 

Shirley  had  no  intention  whatever  of  letting  her  heart 
stray  out  after  any  impossible  society  man.  She  had  her  work 
in  the  world,  and  to  it  she  meant  to  stick.  If  there  were 
dreams  she  kept  them  well  under  lock  and  key,  and  only  took 
them  out  now  and  then  at  night  when  she  was  very  tired  and 
discouraged  and  life  looked  hard  and  long  and  lonely  on 
ahead.  Shirley  had  no  intention  that  Sidney  Graham  should 
ever  have  reason  to  think,  when  he  married  Miss  Harriet 
Hale  or  some  one  equivalent  to  her,  that  any  poor  little 
stenographer  living  in  a  barn  had  at  one  time  fancied  him 
fond  of  her.  No,  indeed !  Shirley  tilted  her  firm  little  chin 
at  the  thought,  and  declined  to  ride  with  Graham  and 
Elizabeth  the  next  time  they  called  at  the  office  for  her,  on 
the  plea  that  she  had  promised  to  go  home  in  the  trolley  with 
one  of  the  office  girls.  And  yet  the  next  time  she  saw  him  he 
was  just  as  pleasant,  and  showed  no  sign  that  she  had  declined 
his  invitation.  In  fact,  the  whole  basis  of  their  acquaintance 
was  such  that  she  felt  free  to  go  her  own  way  and  yet  know 
he  would  be  just  as  pleasant  a  friend  whenever  she  needed  one. 

Matters  stood  in  this  way  when  Graham  was  suddenly 
obliged  to  go  West  on  a  trip  for  the  office,  to  be  gone  three  or 
four  weeks.  Mrs.  Graham  and  Elizabeth  went  to  the  Adiron- 
dacks  for  a  short  trip,  and  the  people  at  Glenside  settled  down 
to  quiet  country  life,  broken  only  by  a  few  visits  from  their 
farm  neighbors,  and  a  call  from  the  cheery,  shabby  pastor  of 
+.he  little  white  church  in  the  valley. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

GRAHAM  did  not  seem  to  forget  his  friends  entirely  while 
he  was  gone.  The  boys  received  a  number  of  post-cards  from 
time  to  time,  and  a  lot  of  fine  views  of  California,  Yellowstone 
Park,  the  Grand  Canon,  and  other  spots  of  interest.  A 
wonderful  picture-book  came  for  Doris,  with  Chinese  pictures, 
and  rhymes  printed  on  crepe  paper.  The  next  morning  a 
tiny  sandalwood  fan  arrived  for  Carol  with  Graham's  compli- 
ments, and  a  few  days  later  a  big  box  of  oranges  for  Mrs. 
Hollister  with  no  clew  whatever  as  to  their  sender.  Shirley 
began  to  wonder  what  her  part  would  be  and  what  she  should 
do  about  it,  and  presently  received — a  letter !  And  then,  after 
all,  it  was  only  a  pleasant  request  that  she  would  not  pay  the 
rent,  about  which  she  had  always  been  so  punctual,  until  his 
return,  as  no  one  else  understood  about  his  affairs.  He  added 
A  few  words  about  his  pleasant  trip  and  a  wish  that  they  were 
all  prospering, — and  that  was  all. 

Shirley  was  disappointed,  of  course,  and  yet,  if  he  had  said 
more,  or  if  he  had  ventured  to  send  her  even  a  mere  trifle 
of  a  gift,  it  would  have  made  her  uncomfortable  and  set  her 
questioning  how  she  should  treat  him  and  it.  It  was  the 
perfection  of  his  behavior  that  he  had  not  overstepped  a  single 
bound  that  the  most  particular  might  set  for  a  landlord  and 
his  respected  tenant.  She  drew  a  deep  sigh  and  put  the 
letter  back  into  the  envelope,  and  ae  she  did  so  she  spied  a 
small  card,  smaller  than  the  envelope,  on  which  was  an 
exquisite  bit  of  scenery,  a  colored  photograph,  apparently, 
and  underneath  had  been  pencilled,  "  One  of  the  many  beau- 
12  177 


178  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

tiful  spots  in  California  that  I  am  sure  you  would  appreciate.* 

Her  heart  gave  an  unforbidden  leap,  and  was  promptly 
taken  to  task  for  it.  Yet  when  Shirley  went  back  to  her 
typewriter  the  bit  of  a  picture  was  pinned  to  the  wall  back  of 
her  desk,  and  her  eyes  rested  on  it  many  times  that  day  when 
she  lifted  them  from  her  work.  It  is  questionable  whether 
Shirley  remembered  Miss  Harriet  Hale  at  all  that  day. 

The  garden  was  growing  beautifully  now.  There  would 
soon  be  lettuce  and  radishes  ready  to  eat.  George  had  secured 
a  number  of  customers  through  people  at  the  store,  and  was 
planning  to  take  early  trips  to  town,  when  his  produce  was 
ripe,  to  deliver  it.  They  watched  every  night  and  looked 
again  every  morning  for  signs  of  the  first  pea  blossoms,  and 
the  little  green  spires  of  onion  tops,  like  sparse  hairs,  begin- 
ning to  shoot  up.  Every  day  brought  some  new  wonder. 
They  almost  forgot  they  had  ever  lived  in  the  little  old  brick 
house,  until  George  rode  by  there  on  his  bicycle  one  noon  and 
reported  that  it  had  been  half  pulled  down,  and  you  could 
now  see  the  outline  of  where  the  stairs  and  closets  had  been, 
done  in  plaster,  on  the  side  of  the  next  house.  They  were 
all  very  silent  for  a  minute  thinking  after  he  told  that,  and 
Mrs.  Hollister  looked  around  the  great  airy  place  in  which 
they  were  sitting,  an  I  then  out  the  open  door  where  the  faint 
stain  of  sunset  was  still  lingering  against  the  horizon,  and 
•aid: 

"We  ought  all  to  be  very  thankful,  children.  George, 
get  the  Bible  and  read  the  thirty-fourth  psalm/'  Wonder- 
ingly  George  obeyed,  and  they  all  sat  listening  as  the  words 
sank  into  their  souls. 

"  Now/'  said  the  mother  when  the  psalm  was  finished 
and  those  last  words,  "  The  Lord  redeemeth  the  souJ  of  his 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  179 

servants,  and  none  of  them  that  trust  in  mm  shall  be  desolate" ; 
"  now  let  us  kneel  down  and  thank  Him." 

And  they  all  knelt  while  she  prayed  a  few  earnest,  simple 
words  of  thanksgiving  and  commended  them  to  God's  keeping. 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Hollister  was  so  well  that  she  went  every 
day  for  a  little  while  into  the  garden  and  worked,  and  was 
able  to  do  a  great  deal  in  the  house.  The  children  were  over- 
joyed, and  lived  in  a  continual  trance  of  delight  over  the 
wild,  free  life  they  were  living.  Carol's  school  had  closed 
and  Carol  was  at  home  all  day.  This  made  one  more  to  help 
in  the  garden.  George  was  talking  about  building  a  little 
pigeon-house  and  raising  squabs  for  sale.  The  man  who  did 
the  ploughing  had  given  him  a  couple  to  start  with  and  told 
him  there  was  money  in  squabs  if  one  only  went  about  it 
right.  George  and  Harley  pored  over  a  book  that  told  all 
about  it,  and  talked  much  on  the  subject. 

The  weather  was  growing  warm,  and  Shirley  was  wishing 
her  vacation  came  in  July  or  August  instead  of  the  first  two 
weeks  in  September.  Somehow  she  felt  so  used  up  these  hot 
days,  and  the  hours  dragged  by  so  slowly.  At  night  the 
trolleys  were  crowded  until  they  were  half-way  out  to  Glen- 
side.  She  often  had  to  stand,  and  her  head  ached  a  great 
deal.  Yet  she  was  very  happy  and  thankful — only  there  was 
BO  much  to  be  done  in  this  world,  and  she  seemed  to  have  so 
little  strength  to  do  it  all.  The  burden  of  next  fall  came 
occasionally  to  mar  the  beauty  of  the  summer,  and  rested 
heavily  upon  her  young  shoulders.  If  only  there  wouldn't  be 
any  winter  for  just  one  year,  and  they  could  stay  in  the 
barn  and  get  rested  and  get  a  little  money  ahead  somehow  for 
moving.  It  was  going  to  be  so  hard  to  leave  that  wide,  beau- 
tiful abiding-place,  barn  though  it  was. 


180  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

One  morning  nearly  four  weeks  after  Graham  lef<  for 
California  Shirley  was  called  from  her  desk  to  the  outer 
office  to  take  some  dictation  for  Mr.  Clegg.  While  she  was 
there  two  men  entered  the  outer  office  and  asked  for  Mr. 
Barnard.  One  of  them  was  a  short,  thick-set  man  with  a 
pretentious  wide  gray  mustache  parted  in  the  middle  and 
combed  elaborately  out  on  his  cheeks.  He  had  a  red  face,  little 
cunning  eyes,  and  a  cruel  set  to  his  jaw,  which  somehow  seemed 
ridiculously  at  variance  with  his  loud,  checked  suit,  sporty 
necktie  of  soft  bright  blue  satin,  set  with  a  scarf-pin  of  two 
magnificent  stones,  a  diamond  and  a  sapphire,  and  with  the 
three  showy  jewelled  rings  which  he  wore  on  his  fat,  pudgy 
hand.  The  other  man  was  sly,  quiet,  gray,  unobtrusive, 
obviously  the  henchman  of  the  first. 

Mr.  Clegg  told  the  men  they  might  go  into  the  inner 
office  and  wait  for  Mr.  Barnard,  who  would  probably  be  in 
shortly,  and  Shirley  watched  them  as  they  passed  out  of  her 
view,  wondering  idly  why  those  exquisite  stones  had  to  be 
wasted  in  such  an  out-of-place  spot  as  in  that  coarse-looking 
man's  necktie,  and  if  a  man  like  that  really  cared  for  beau- 
tiful things,  else  why  should  he  wear  them  ?  It  was  only  a 
passing  thought,  and  then  she  took  up  her  pencil  and  took 
down  the  closing  sentences  of  the  letter  Mr.  Clegg  was  dic- 
tating. It  was  but  a  moment  more  and  she  was  free  to  go 
back  to  her  own  little  alcove  just  behind  Mr.  Barnard's  office 
and  connecting  with  it.  There  was  an  entrance  to  it  from 
the  tiny  cloak-room,  which  she  always  used  when  Mr.  Barnard 
had  visitors  in  his  office,  and  through  this  way  she  now  went, 
having  a  strange  repugnance  toward  being  seen  by  the  two 
men.  She  had  an  innate  sense  that  the  man  with  the  gaudy 
garments  would  not  be  one  who  would  treat  a  young1  girl  in^ 


ENCHANTED  BARN  181 

tier  position  with  any  respect,  and  she  did  not  care  to  come 
xmder  his  coarse  gaze,  so  she  slipped  in  quietly  through  the 
cloak-room,  and  passed  like  a  shadow  the  open  door  into 
Mr.  Barnard's  office,  where  they  sat  with  their  backs  toward 
her,  having  evidently  just  settled  down  and  begun  to  talk. 
She  could  hear  a  low-breathed  comment  on  the  furnishings 
of  the  office  as  indicating  a  good  bank-account  of  the  owner, 
and  a  coarse  jest  about  a  photograph  of  Mr.  Barnard's  wife 
which  stood  on  his  desk.  It  made  her  wish  that  the  door 
between  the  rooms  was  closed;  yet  she  did  not  care  to  rise 
and  close  it  lest  she  should  call  attention  to  herself,  and  of 
course  it  might  be  but  a  minute  or  two  before  Mr.  Barnard 
returned.  A  pile  of  envelopes  to  be  addressed  lay  on  her 
desk,  and  this  work  she  could  do  without  any  noise,  so  she 
slipped  softly  into  her  seat  and  began  to  work. 

"Well,  we  got  them  Grahams  good  and  fast  now!"  a 
coarse  voice,  that  she  knew  for  that  of  the  man  with  the  loud 
clothing,  spoke.  "  The  young  feller  bit  all  right !  I  thought 
he  would.  He's  that  kind."  He  stopped  for  a  laugh  of  con- 
tempt, and  Shirley's  heart  stood  still  with  apprehension. 
What  could  it  mean  ?  Was  it  something  about  her  Grahams  ? 
Some  danger  threatening  them  ?  Some  game  being  played  on 
them?  He  looked  like  the  kind  of  man  who  lived  on  the 
blindnesses  of  others.  What  was  it  they  called  such?  A 
parasite?  Instinctively  she  was  on  the  alert  at  once,  and< 
automatically  she  reached  for  the  pad  on  which  she  took 
dictation  and  began  to  write  down  in  shorthand  what  she 
had  just  heard.  The  voice  in  the  other  room  went  on  and  her 
fountain  pen  kept  eager  pace,  her  breath  coming  quick  and 
short  now,  and  her  face  white  with  excitement. 

"He  went  out  to  see  the  place,  you  know,  examine  the 


182  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

mines  and  all  that.  Oh,  he's  awful  cautious !  Thought  he 
took  a  government  expert  with  him  to  test  the  ore.  We  fixed 
that  up  all  right — had  the  very  man  on  tap  at  the  right  minute, 
government  papers  all  0.  K. — you  couldn't  have  told  'em 
from  the  real  thing.  It  was  Casey;  you  know  him;  he's  a 
cracker  jack  on  a  job  like  that, — could  fool  the  devil  himself. 
Well,  he  swore  it  was  the  finest  kind  of  ore  and  all  that  kind 
of  dope,  and  led  that  Graham  kid  around  as  sweetly  as  a 
blue-eyed  baby.  We  had  a  gang  out  there  all  bribed,  you 
know,  to  swear  to  things,  and  took  particular  pains  so  Graham 
would  go  around  and  ask  the  right  ones  questions, — Casey 
tended  to  that, — and  now  he's  come  home  with  the  biggest 
kind  of  a,  tale  and  ready  to  boost  the  thing  to  the  skies.  I've 
got  his  word  for  it,  and  his  daddy  is  to  sign  the  papers  this 
morning.  When  he  wakes  up  one  of  these  fine  days  he'll 
find  himself  minus  a  hundred  thousand  or  so,  and  nobody  to 
blame  for  it,  because  how  could  anybody  be  expected  to  know 
that  those  are  only  pockets?  He'll  recommend  it  right  and 
left  too,  and  we'll  clean  out  a  lot  of  other  fellers  before  we 
get  done.  Teddy,  my  boy,  pat  yourself  on  the  back !  We'll 
have  a  tidy  little  sum  between  us  when  we  pull  out  of  this 
deal,  and  take  a  foreign  trip  for  our  health  till  the  fracas 
blows  over.  Now  mind  you,  not  a  word  of  this  to  Barnard 
when  he  comes  in.  We're  only  going  to  pave  the  way  this 
morning.  The  real  tip  comes  from  Graham  himself.  See  ?  " 
Shirley  was  faint  and  dizzy  with  excitement  as  she  finished 
writing,  and  her  brain  was  in  a  whirl.  She  felt  as  if  she  would 
scream  in  a  minute  if  this  strain  kept  up.  The  papers  were 
to  be  signed  that  morning!  Even  now  the  deed  might  be 
done  and  it  would  be  too  late,  perhaps,  to  stop  it.  And  yet 
she  must  make  no  sign,  must  not  have  the  men  know  that  she 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  183 

was  there  and  that  they  had  been  heard.  She  must  sit  here 
breathless  until  they  were  gone,  so  they  would  not  know  she 
had  overheard  them,  or  they  might  manage  to  prevent  her 
getting  word  to  Graham.  How  long  would  they  stay  ?  Would 
they  talk  on  and  reveal  more?  The  other  man  had  only 
grunted  something  unintelligible  in  reply,  and  then  before 
more  could  be  said  an  office  boy  opened  the  outer  door  and  told 
them  that  Mr.  Barnard  had  just  phoned  that  he  would  not  be 
back  before  two  o'clock. 

The  men  swore  and  went  out  grumbling.  Suddenly 
Shirley  knew  her  time  had  come  to  do  something.  Stepping 
quickly  to  the  door  she  scanned  the  room  carefully  to  make 
sure  they  were  gone,  then  closing  her  own  door  she  took  up 
the  telephone  on  her  desk  and  called  up  the  Graham  number. 
She  did  not  know  just  what  she  meant  to  say,  nor  what  she 
would  do  if  Sidney  Graham  were  not  in  the  office, — and  it  was 
hardly  probable  he  would  be  there  yet  if  he  had  only  arrived 
home  the  day  before.  He  would  be  likely  to  take  a  day  off 
before  getting  back  to  work.  Her  throbbing  heart  beat  out 
these  questions  to  her  brain  while  she  waited  for  the  number. 
Would  she  dare  to  ask  for  Mr.  Walter  Graham?  And  if  she 
did,  what  would  she  say  to  him  ?  How  explain  ?  He  did  not 
know  her,  and  probably  never  heard  of  her.  He  might  think 
her  crazy.  Then  there  ^as  always  the  possibility  that  there 
wafl  some  mistake — and  yet  it  seemed  a  coincidence  that  two 
men  of  the  same  name  should  both  be  going  West  at  that  time. 
It  must  be  these  Grahams  that  the  plot  was  against.  But  how 
explain  enough  over  the  phone  to  do  any  good  ?  Of  course  she 
must  give  them  a  copy  of  what  she  had  taken  down  in  short- 
hand, but  first  she  must  stop  the  signing  of  those  papers,  what- 
ever they  were,  at  ill  costs. 


184  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

Then  all  at  once,  into  the  midst  of  her  whirling  confusion 
of  thoughts,  came  a  voice  at  the  other  end  of  the  phone, 
"  Hello ! "  and  her  frantic  senses  realized  that  it  was  a 
familiar  one. 

"  Oh,  is  this,— -this  is  Mr.  Sidney  Graham,  isn't  it?  This 
is  Shirley  Hollister." 

There  was  a  catch  in  her  voice  that  sounded  almost  like  a 
sob  as  she  drew  in  her  breath  with  relief  to  know  that  he 
was  there,  and  his  answer  came  in  swift  alarm: 

"  Yes  ?  Is  there  anything  the  matter,  Miss  Shirley  ?  You 
are  not  ill,  are  you?" 

There  was  a  sharp  note  of  anxiety  in  the  young  man'a 
voice,  and  even  in  her  excitement  it  made  Shirley's  heart 
leap  to  hear  it. 

"  No,  there  is  nothing  the  matter  with  me,"  she  said, 
trying  to  steady  her  voice,  "  but  something  has  happened  that 
I  think  you  ought  to  know  at  once.  I  don't  know  whether  I 
ought  to  tell  it  over  the  phone.  I'm  not  sure  but  I  may  be^ 
overheard." 

"  I  will  come  to  you  immediately.  Where  can  I  find  you?  " 

Her  heart  leaped  again  at  his  willingness  to  trust  her  and 
to  obey  her  call. 

"  In  Mr.  Barnard's  private  office.  If  you  ask  for  me  they 
will  let  you  come  right  in.  There  is  one  thing  more.  If  there 
is  anything  important  your  father  was  to  decide  this  morn- 
ing, could  you  get  him  to  wait  till  you  return,  or  till  you 
phone  him?" 

There  was  a  second's  hesitation,  and  the  reply  was  politely 
puzzled  but  courteous: 

"  He  is  not  in  the  office  at  present  and  will  not  be  for  an 
hour." 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  185 

"  Oh,  I'm  so  glad !    Then  please  hurry!  " 

"  I  will  get  there  as  soon  as  I  can,"  and  the  phone  clicked 
into  place. 

Shirley  sat  back  in  her  chair  and  pressed  her  hands  over 
her  eyes  to  concentrate  all  her  powers.  Then  she  turned  to 
her  typewriter  and  began  to  copy  off  the  shorthand,  her 
fingers  flying  over  the  keys  with  more  than  their  usual  swift- 
ness. As  she  wrote  she  prayed,  prayed  that  nothing  might 
have  been  signed,  and  that  her  warning  might  not  come  too 
late;  prayed,  too,  that  Mr.  Barnard  might  not  return  until 
Mr.  Graham  had  been  and  gone,  and  that  Mr.  Graham  might 
not  think  her  an  utter  fool  in  case  this  proved  to  have  nothing 
whatever  to  do  with  his  affairs. 


CHAPTEK  XVII 

WHEN  Graham  entered  the  office  Shirley  came  to  meet  him 
quietly,  without  a  word  of  greeting  other  than  to  put  her 
little  cold  hand  into  his  that  he  held  out  to  her.  She  began 
to  speak  in  a  low  voice  full  of  suppressed  excitement.  She  had 
a  vague  fear  lest  the  two  men  might  be  still  lingering  about 
the  outer  office,  waiting  for  Mr.  Barnard,  and  a  momentary 
dread  lest  Mr.  Barnard  might  enter  the  room  at  any  minute. 
She  must  get  the  telling  over  before  he  came. 

"  Mr.  Graham,  two  men  were  sitting  in  this  room  waiting 
for  Mr.  Barnard  a  few  minutes  ago,  and  I  was  in  my  little 
room  just  back  there.  I  could  not  help  hearing  what  they 
said,  and  when  I  caught  the  name  of  Graham  in  connection 
with  what  sounded  like  an  evil  plot  I  took  down  their  words 
in  shorthand.  It  may  not  have  anything  to  do  with  your 
firm,  but  1  thought  I  ought  to  let  you  know.  I  called  you  on 
the  phone  as  soon  as  they  left  the  office  and  would  not  hear  me, 
and  I  have  made  this  copy  of  their  conversation.  Eead  it 
quickly,  please,  because  if  it  does  have  anything  to  do  with 
you,  you  will  want  to  phone  your  father  at  once,  before  those 
men  can  get  there/' 

Her  tone  was  very  cool,  and  her  hand  was  steady  as  she 
handed  him  the  typewritten  paper,  but  her  heart  was  beat- 
ing mildly,  because  there  had  been  a  look  in  his  eyes  as  he 
greeted  her  that  made  her  feel  that  he  was  glad  to  see  her, 
and  it  touched  an  answering  gladness  in  her  heart  and  filled 
her  both  with  delight  and  with  apprehension.  What  a  fool 
she  was ! 
186 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  187 

She  turned  sharply  away  and  busied  herself  with  arrang- 
ing some  papers  on  Mr.  Barnard's  desk  while  he  read.  She 
must  still  this  excitement  and  get  control  of  herself  before  he 
was  through.  She  must  be  the  cool,  impersonal  stenographer, 
and  not  let  him  suspect  for  a  moment  that  she  was  so  excited 
about  seeing  him  again. 

The  young  man  stood  still,  reading  rapidly,  his  face  grow- 
ing graver  as  he  read.  The  girl  snatched  a  furtive  glance  at 
him,  and  felt  convinced  that  the  matter  was  a  serious  one  and 
fead  to  do  with  him, 

Suddenly  he  looked  up. 

".Do  you  know  who  those  men  were,  Miss  Shirley?"  he 
asked,  and  she  saw  his  eyes  were  full  of  anxiety. 

"  No/'  said  Shirley.  "  But  I  saw  them  as  they  passed 
through  the  outer  office,  and  stopped  to  speak  to  Mr.  Clegg. 
I  was  taking  dictation  from  Mr.  Clegg  at  the  time.  I  came 
back  to  my  desk  through  the  cloak-room,  so  they  did  not  know 
I  was  within  hearing." 

"What  kind  of  looking  men  were  they?  Do  you 
remember  ?  " 

She  described  them. 

Certainty  grew  in  his  face  as  she  talked,  and  grave  concern. 

"  May  I  use  your  phone  a  minute  ? "  he  asked  after  an 
instant's  thought. 

She  led  him  to  her  own  desk  and  handed  him  the  receiver, 
then  stepped  back  into  the  office  and  waited. 

" Hello!  Is  that  you,  Edward?"  she  heard  him  say. 
"  Has  father  come  yet  ?  Give  me  his  phone,  please.  Hello, 
father;  this  is  Sidney.  Father,  has  Kremnitz  come  in  yet? 
He  has  ?  You  say  he's  waiting  in  the  office  to  see  you  ?  Well, 
don't  see  him,  father,  till  I  get  there.  Something  has  turned 


188  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

up  that  I'm  afraid  is  going  to  alter  matters  entirely. 
pretty  serious,  I'm  afraid.  Don't  see  him.  Keep  him  waiting. 
I'll  be  there  in  five  minutes,  and  come  in  from  the  back  way 
directly  to  your  office.  Don't  talk  with  him  on  any  account 
till  I  can  get  there.  Good-by." 

He  hung  up  the  receiver  and  turned  to  Shirley. 

"  Miss  Shirley,  you  were  just  in  time  to  save  us.  I  haven't 
time  now  to  tell  you  how  grateful  I  am  for  this.  I  must 
hurry  right  over.  Do  you  suppose  if  we  should  need  you  it 
would  be  possible  for  you  to  come  over  and  identify  those 
men  ?  Thank  you.  I'll  speak  to  Mr.  Clegg  about  it  as  I  go 
out,  and  if  we  find  it  necessary  we'll  phone  you.  In  case  you 
have  to  come  I'll  have  an  office-boy  in  the  hall  to  take  youi 
hat,  and  you  can  come  right  into  the  office  as  if  you  wero 
one  of  our  employees — just  walk  over  to  the  bookcase  as  if 
you  were  looking  for  a  book — any  book.  Select  one  and  look 
through  it,  meanwhile  glancing  around  the  room,  and  see  if 
you  find  those  men.  Then  walk  through  into  my  office.  I'll 
be  waiting  there.  G-ood-by,  and  thank  you  so  much !  " 

He  gave  her  hand  one  quick  clasp  and  was  gone,  and 
Shirley  found  she  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot.  She 
walked  quickly  into  her  own  room  and  sat  down,  burying  her 
face  in  her  hands  and  trying  to  get  control  of  herself,  but  the 
tears  would  come  to  her  eyes  in  spite  of  all  she  could  do.  It 
was  not  the  excitement  of  getting  the  men  and  stopping  their 
evil  plans  before  they  could  do  any  damage,  although  that  had 
something  to  do  with  her  nervous  state,  of  course;  and  it 
was  not  just  that  she  had  been  able  to  do  a  little  thing  in 
return  for  all  he  had  done  for  her;  nor  even  his  gratitude; 
it  was — she  could  not  deny  it  to  herself — it  was  a  certain 
quality  in  his  voice,  a  something  in  the  look  he  ga/e  her,  that( 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  180 

made  her  whole  soul  glow,  and  seemed  to  fill  the  hungry 
longing  that  had  been  in  her  heart. 

It  frightened  her  and  made  her  ashamed,  and  as  she  sat 
with  bowed  head  she  prayed  that  she  might  be  given  strength 
to  act  like  a  sensible  girl,  and  crush  out  such  foolish  thoughts 
before  they  dared  lift  their  heads  and  be  recognized  even  by 
her  own  heart.  Then  strengthened,  she  resolved  to  think  no 
more  about  the  matter,  but  just  get  her  work  done  and  be 
ready  to  enter  into  that  other  business  if  it  became  necessary. 
Mr.  Barnard  would  be  coming  soon,  and  she  must  have  his 
work  finished.  She  had  lost  almost  an  hour  by  this  matter. 

She  went  at  her  typewriter  pell-mell,  and  soon  had  Mr. 
Clegg's  letters  done.  She  was  nearly  through  with  the  ad- 
dressing that  Mr.  Barnard  left  for  her  to  do  when  the 
telephone  called  her  to  Graham's  office. 

She  slipped  on  her  hat  and  hurried  out. 

"Will  it  be  all  right  for  me  to  take  my  noontime  now, 
Mr.  Clegg  ?  "  she  said,  stopping  by  his  desk.  "  Mr.  Graham 
said  he  spoke  to  you." 

"  Yes,  he  wants  you  to  help  him  identify  some  one.  That's 
all  right.  I'll  explain  to  Mr.  Barnard  when  he  comes.  There's 
nothing  important  you  have  to  finish,  is  there?  All  done 
but  those  envelopes?  Well,  you  needn't  return  until  one 
o'clock,  anyway.  The  envelopes  can  wait  till  the  four-o'clock 
mail,  and  if  Mr.  Barnard  needs  anything  in  a  hurry  Miss 
Dwight  can  attend  to  it  this  time.  Just  take  your  time, 
Miss  Hollister." 

Shirley  went  out  bewildered  by  the  unusual  generosity  of 
Mr.  Clegg,  who  was  usually  taciturn  and  abrupt.  She 
realized,  however,  that  his  warmth  must  be  due  to  Graham's 
*isit,  and  not  to  any  special  desire  to  give  her  a  holiday.  She 


190  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  < 

smiled  to  think  what  a  difference  wealth  and  position  made 
in  the  eyes  of  the  world. 

The  same  office-boy  she  had  met  on  her  first  visit  to 
Graham's  office  was  waiting  most  respectfully  for  her  now 
in  the  hall  when  she  got  out  of  the  elevator,  and  she  gave 
him  her  hat  and  walked  into  the  office  according  to  pro- 
gramme, going  straight  to  the  big  glass  bookcase  full  of 
calf -bound  volumes,  and  selecting  one  after  running  her  finger 
over  two  rows  of  them.  She  was  as  cool  as  though  her  part 
had  been  rehearsed  many  times,  although  her  heart  was  pound- 
ing most  unmercifully,  and  it  seemed  as  though  the  people 
in  the  next  room  must  hear  it.  She  stood  and  opened  her 
book,  casting  a  casual  glance  about  the  room. 

There,  sure  enough,  quite  near  to  her,  sat  the  two  men, 
fairly  bursting  with  impatience.  The  once  immaculate  hair 
of  the  loudly  dressed  one  was  rumpled  as  if  he  had  run  his 
fingers  through  it  many  times,  and  he  played  nervously  with 
his  heavy  rings,  and  caressed  half  viciously  his  elaborate  mus* 
tache,  working  his  thick,  sensuous  lips  impatiently  all  the 
while.  Shirley  took  a  good  look  at  him,  necktie,  scarf-pin, 
and  ail ;  looked  keenly  into  the  face  of  the  gray  one  also ;  then 
coolly  closed  the  door  of  the  bookcase  and  carried  the  book  she 
had  selected  into  Sidney  Graham's  office. 

Graham  was  there,  standing  to  receive  her,  and  just  back 
of  him  stood  a  kindly-faced  elderly  man  with  merry  blue  eyes, 
gray  hair,  and  a  stylishly  cut  beard.  By  their  attitude  and 
manner  Shirley  somehow  sensed  that  they  had  both  been 
watching  her.  Then  Graham  introduced  her. 

"  This  is  my  father,  Miss  Hollister." 

The  elder  man  took  her  hand  and  shook  it  heartily,  speak- 
ing in  a  gruff,  hearty  way  that  won  her  from  the  first: 

"I'm  glad  to  know  you,  Miss  Hollister.    I  certainly  am! 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  191 

My  son  has  been  telling  me  what  you've  done  for  us,  and  I 
think  you're  a  great  little  girl !  That  was  bully  work  you  did, 
and  I  appreciate  it.  I  was  watching  you  out  there  in  the  office. 
You  were  as  cool  as  a  cucumber.  You  ought  to  be  a  detective. 
You  found  your  men  all  right,  did  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Shirley,  much  abashed,  and  feeling  the 
return  of  that  foolish  trembling  in  her  limbs.  "Yes,  they 
are  both  out  there,  and  the  short  one  with  the  rings  and  the 
blue  necktie  is  the  one  that  did  the  talking." 

"Exactly  what  I  thought/3  drawled  the  father,  with  a 
keen  twinkle  in  his  kindly  eyes.  "  I  couldn't  somehow  trust 
that  chap  from  the  start.  That's  why  I  sent  my  son  out  to 
investigate.  Well,  now,  will  you  just  step  into  my  private 
office,  Miss  Hollister,  and  take  your  seat  by  the  typewriter  as 
if  you  were  my  stenographer?  You'll  find  paper  there  in  the 
drawer,  and  you  can  just  be  writing — write  anything,  you 
choose,  so  it  looks  natural  when  the  men  come  in.  When  we 
get  to  talking  I'd  like  you  to  take  down  in  shorthand  all  that 
is  said  by  all  of  us.  You're  pretty  good  at  that,  I  judge, 
Sid,  will  you  phone  for  those  officers  now  ?  I  think  it's  about 
time  for  the  curtain  to  rise."  And  he  led  the  way  into  his 
own  office. 

Shirley  sat  down  at  the  typewriter  as  she  had  been  directed 
and  began  to  write  mechanically.  Mr.  Graham  touched  the 
bell  on  his  desk,  and  told  the  office  boy  who  answered  to  send 
in  Mr.  Kremnitz  and  his  companion. 

Shirley  was  so  seated  that  she  could  get  occasional  glimpses 
of  the  men  without  being  noticed,  and  she  was  especially 
interested  in  the  twinkle  that  shone  in  the  bright  blue  eyes 
of  the  elder  Graham  as  he  surveyed  the  men  who  thought  he 
was  their  dupe.  Her  heart  warmed  to  him.  His  kindly, 


192  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

merry  face,  his  hearty,  unconventional  speech,  all  showed  him 
to  be  a  big,  warm-hearted  man  without  a  bit  of  snobbishness 
about  him. 

The  son  came  in,  and  talk  began  just  as  if  the  matter  of 
the  mine  were  going  on.  Mr.  Kremnitz  produced  some  papers 
which  he  evidently  expected  to  be  signed  at  once,  and  sat 
complacently  answering  questions ;  keen  questions  Shirley  saw 
they  were  afterwards,  and  in  the  light  of  the  revelation  she 
had  overheard  in  Mr.  Barnard's  office  Kremnitz  perjured  him- 
self hopelessly  by  his  answers.  Presently  the  office-boy  an- 
nounced the  arrival  of  some  one  in  the  next  room.  Shirley  had 
taken  down  minutely  a  great  deal  of  valuable  information  which 
the  Grahams  had  together  drawn  from  their  victim.  She  was 
surprised  at  the  list  of  wealthy  business  men  who  were  to  have 
been  involved  in  the  scheme. 

Then  suddenly  the  quiet  scene  changed.  The  elder 
Graham  gave  a  signal  to  his  office-boy,  which  looked  merely 
like  waving  him  away,  and  the  door  was  flung  open,  revealing 
four  officers  of  the  law,  who  stepped  into  the  room  without 
further  word.  Graham  arose  and  faced  his  two  startled  callers, 
his  hand  firmly  planted  on  the  papers  on  his  desk  which  he 
"had  been  supposed  to  sign. 

"Mr.  Kremnitz,"  he  said,  and  even  in  the  midst  of  this 
serious  business  Shirley  fancied  there  was  a  half-comic  drawl 
to  his  words.  He  simply  could  not  help  letting  his  sense  of 
humor  come  on  top.  "  Mr.  Kremnitz,  it  is  not  going  to  be 
possible  for  me  to  sign  these  papers  this  morning,  as  you' 
expected.  I  do  not  feel  satisfied  that  all  things  are  as  you 
have  represented.  In  fact,  I  have  the  best  evidence  to  the 
Contrary.  Officer,  these  are  the  gentlemen  you  have  come  to 
irrest,"  and  he  stepped  back  and  waved  his  hand  toward  the 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  193 

two  conspirators,  who  sat  with  startled  eyes  and  blanched  faces, 
appalled  at  the  sudden  developments  where  they  had  thought 
all  was  moving  happily  toward  their  desired  end. 

"Arrest!  Who?  On  what  charge?"  flashed  the  little 
gaudy  Kremnitz,  angrily  springing  to  his  feet  and  making  a 
dash  toward  the  door,  while  his  companion  slid  furtively  toward 
the  other  end  of  the  room,  evidently  hoping  to  gain  young 
Graham's  office  before  he  was  noticed.  But  two  officers  blocked 
their  way  and  the  handcuffs  clanked  in  the  hands  of  the  other 
two  policemen. 

"  Why,  arrest  you,  my  friend,"  said  Graham  senior,  as  if 
he  rather  enjoyed  the  little  man's  discomfiture.  "And  for 
trying  to  perpetrate  the  biggest  swindle  that  has  been  at- 
tempted for  ten  years.  I  must  say  for  you  that  you've  worked 
hard,  and  done  the  trick  rather  neatly,  but  you  made  one 
unfortunate  slip  that  saved  all  us  poor  rich  men.  It  seems 
a  pity  that  so  much  elaborate  lying  should  have  brought  you 
two  nothing  but  those  bracelets  you're  wearing, — they  don't 
seem  to  match  well  with  your  other  jewels, — but  that's  thfc 
way  things  go  in  this  world.  Now,  take  them  away,  officer. 
I've  no  more  time  to  waste  on  them  this  morning ! "  and  he 
turned  and  walked  over  by  Shirley's  desk,  while  the  curtain 
fell  over  the  brief  drama. 

"Do  jou  know  how  much  money  you've  saved  for  us, 
little  girl, — just  plain  saved  ?  I'll  tell  you.  A  clean  hundred 
thousand !  That's  what  I  was  going  to  put  into  this  affair  I 
And  as  for  other  men,  I  expected  to  influence  a  lot  of  other 
men  to  put  in  a  good  deal  also.  Now,  little  girl,  I  don't  know 
what  you  think  about  it,  but  I  want  to  shake  hands."  He 
put  out  his  hand  and  Shirley  laid  her  own  timid  one  in  it, 
smiling  and  blushing  rosily,  and  saying  softly  with  what 
13 


194  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

excited  breath  she  had,  "  Oh,  I'm  so  glad  I  got  you  in  time !  * 
Then  she  was  aware  that  the  man  had  gone  on  talking.  "  I 
don't  know  what  you  think  about  it,"  he  repeated,  "but  I 
feel  that  you  saved  me  a  clean  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and 
I  say  that  a  good  percentage  of  that  belongs  to  you  as  a 
reward  of  your  quickness  and  keenness/' 

But  Shirley  drew  away  her  hand  and  stepped  back,  her 
face  white,  her  head  up,  her  chin  tilted  proudly,  her  eyes 
very  dark  with  excitement  and  determination.  She  spoke 
clearly  and  earnestly. 

"  No,  Mr.  Graham,  nothing  whatever  belongs  to  me.  I 
don't  want  any  reward.  I  couldn't  tlrak  of  taking  it.  It  is 
utterly  out  of  the  question ! " 

"  Well,  well,  well !  "  said  the  elder  Graham,  sitting  down 
on  the  edge  of  his  desk,  watching  her  in.  undisguised  r.dmira* 
tion.  "  Now  that's  a  new  kind  of  girl  that  won't  take  what 
she's  earned, — what  rightly  belongs  to  her." 

"  Mr.  Graham,  it  was  a  very  little  thing  I  did, — anybody 
would  have  done  it, — and  it  was  just  in  the  way  of  simple 
duty.  Please  don't  say  anything  more  about  it.  I  am  only 
too  glad  to  have  had  opportunity  to  give  a  little  help  to  people 
who  have  helped  me  so  much.  I  feel  that  I  am  under  deep 
obligation  to  your  son  for  making  it  possible  for  us  to  live 
in  the  country,  where  my  mother  is  getting  well." 

"  Well,  now  I  shall  have  to  inquire  into  this  business.  I 
haven't  heard  anything  about  obligations,  and  for  my  part  I 
feel  a  big  one  just  now.  Perhaps  you  think  it  was  a  very 
little  thing  you  did,  but  suppose  you  hadn't  done  it.  Sup- 
pose you'd  been  too  busy,  or  it  hadn't  occurred  to  you  to  take 
down  that  conversation  until  it  was  too  late ;  or  suppose  you 
hadn't  had  the  brains  to  see  what  it  would  mean  to  us.  Why. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  194 

then  it  would  have  become  a  very  big  thing  indeed,  and  we 
should  have  been  willing,  if  we  had  known,  to  pay  a  mighty 
big  sum  to  get  that  evidence.  You  see  a  hundred  thousand 
dollars  isn't  exactly  a  very  little  thing  when  you're  swindled 
out  of  it.  It's  the  swindling  that  hurts  more  than  the  loss 
of  the  money.  And  you  saved  us  from  that.  Now,  young 
lady,  I  consider  myself  under  obligation  to  you,  and  I  intend 
to  discharge  it  somehow.  If  I  can't  do  it  one  way  I  shall 
another,  but  in  the  meantime  I'm  deeply  grateful,  and  please 
accept  our  thanks.  If  you  are  willing  to  add  one  more  to 
your  kindness,  I  shall  be  glad  if  you  will  make  a  carbon  copy 
of  those  shorthand  notes  you  took.  I  may  need  them  for 
evidence.  And,  by  the  way,  you  will  probably  be  called  upon 
to  testify  in  court.  I'm  sorry.  That  may  be  unpleasant,  but 
I  guess  it  can't  be  helped,  so  you  see  before  you  get  through 
you  may  not  think  you  did  so  very  small  a  thing  after  all. 
Sid,  I  think  you  better  escort  this  young  lady  back  to  her  office 
and  explain  to  Barnard.  He's  probably  been  on  the  verge  of 
being  buncoed  also.  You  said  Kremnitz  was  waiting  for  him 
when  the  conversation  took  place?  I  guess  you  better  go 
with  Miss  Hollister  and  clear  the  whole  thing  up.  Say,  child, 
have  you  had  your  lunch  yet?  No,  of  course  not.  Sidney, 
you  take  her  to  get  some  lunch  before  she  goes  back  to  the 
office.  She's  had  an  exciting  morning.  Now,  good-by,  little 
girl.  I  sha'n't  forget  what  you've  done  for  us,  and  I'm  coming 
to  see  you  pretty  soon  and  get  things  squared  up." 

So  that  was  how  it  came  about  that  in  spite  of  her  pro- 
tests Mr.  Sidney  Graham  escorted  Shirley  Hollister  into  one 
of  the  most  exclusive  tea-rooms  of  the  city,  and  seated  her  at 
a  little  round  table  set  for  two,  while  off  at  a  short  distance 
Miss  Harriet  Hale  sat  with  her  mother,  eating  her  lunch  and 


196  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

trying  in  vain  to  "  place  "  the  pretty  girl  she  did  not  recognize. 

It  never  occurred  to  her  for  a  moment  that  Sidney  Gra- 
ham's companion  might  be  a  stenographer,  for  Shirley  had 
a  knack  about  her  clothes  that  made  her  always  seem  well 
dressed.  That  hat  she  wore  had  seen  service  for  three  sum- 
mers, and  was  now  a  wholly  different  shape  and  color  from 
what  it  had  been  when  it  began  life.  A  scrub  in  hot  water 
had  removed  the  dust  of  toil,  some  judiciously  applied  dye 
had  settled  the  matter  of  color,  and  a  trifling  manipulation  on 
her  head  while  the  hat  was  still  wet  had  made  the  shape  not 
only  exceedingly  stylish  but  becoming.  The  chic  little  rosette 
and  strictly  tailored  band  which  were  its  sole  trimming  were 
made  from  a  much-soiled  waist-ribbon,  washed  and  stretched 
around  a  bottle  of  hot  water  to  dry  it,  and  teased  into  the  latest 
thing  in  rosettes  by  Shirley's  witching  fingers.  The  simple 
linen  dress  she  wore  fitted  well  and  at  a  distance  could  not 
have  been  told  from  something  better,  and  neither  were  gloves 
and  shoes  near  enough  to  be  inspected  critically,  so  Miss  Hale 
was  puzzled,  and  jealously  watched  the  pretty  color  come  and 
go  in  Shirley's  cheek,  and  the  simple  grace  of  her  movements. 

Fortunately,  Shirley  did  not  see  Miss  Hale,  and  would 
not  have  recognized  her  if  she  had  from  that  one  brief 
glimpse  she  had  of  her  picture  on  the  society  page  of  the 
newspaper.  So  she  ate  her  delectable  lunch,  ordered  by 
Graham,  in  terms  that  she  knew  not,  about  dishes  that  she 
had  never  seen  before.  She  ate  and  enjoyed  herself  so  in- 
tensely that  it  seemed  to  her  she  would  never  be  able  to  make 
the  rest  of  her  life  measure  up  to  the  privileges  of  the  hour. 

For  Shirley  was  a  normal  girl.  She  could  not  help  being 
pleased  to  be  doing  just  for  once  exactly  as  other  more  favored 
girls  did  constantly.  To  be  lunching  at  Blanco's  with  one  of 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  197 

the  most-sought-after  men  in  the  upper  set,  to  be  treated 
like  a  queen,  and  to  be  talking  beautiful  things  about  travels 
and  pictures  and  books,  it  was  all  too  beautiful  to  be  real. 
Shirley  began  to  feel  that  if  it  didn't  get  over  pretty  soon 
and  find  her  back  in  the  office  addressing  the  rest  of  those 
envelopes  she  would  think  she  had  died  in  the  midst  of  a 
dream  and  gone  to  heaven. 

There  was  something  else  too  that  brought  an  undertone  of 
beauty,  which  she  was  not  acknowledging  even  to  her  inmost 
self.  That  was  the  way  Graham  looked  at  her^  ac  if  she  were 
some  fine  beautiful  angel  dropped  down  from  above  that  he 
loved  to  look  at;  as  if  he  really  cared  what  she  thought  and 
did;  as  if  there  were  somehow  a  soul-harmony  between  them 
that  set  them  apart  this  day  from  others,  and  put  them  into 
tune  with  one  another;  as  if  he  were  glad,  rtad  to  see  her 
once  more  after  the  absence !  All  through  her  being  it  thrilled 
like  a  song  that  brings  tears  to  the  throat  and  gladness  to 
the  eyes,  and  makes  one  feel  strong  and  pure.  That  was 
how  it  seemed  when  she  thought  about  it  afterward.  At  the 
time  she  was  just  living  it  in  wonder  and  thanksgiving. 

At  another  time  her  sordid  worldliness  and  pride  might 
have  risen  and  swelled  with  haughtiness  of  spirit  over  the 
number  of  people  who  eyed  her  enviously  as  they  went  out 
together;  over  the  many  bows  and  salutations  her  escort 
received  from  people  of  evident  consequence,  for  she  had  the 
normal  human  pride  somewhere  in  her  nature  as  we  all  have. 
But  just  then  her  heart  was  too  humble  with  a  new,  strange 
happiness  to  feel  it  or  take  it  in,  and  she  walked  with  uncon- 
scious grace  beside  him,  feeling  only  the  joy  of  being  there. 

Later,  in  the  quiet  of  her  chamber,  her  mother's  warning 
came  to  her,  and  her  cheeks  burned  with  shame  in  the  dark 


198  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

that  her  heart  had  dared  make  so  much  of  a  common  little 
luncheon,  just  a  mere  courtesy  after  she  had  been  able  to  do 
a  favor.  Yet  through  it  all  Shirley  knew  there  was  some- 
thing fine  and  true  there  that  belonged  just  to  her,  and 
presently  she  would  rise  above  everything  and  grasp  it  and 
keep  it  hers  forever. 

She  felt  the  distinction  of  her  escort  anew  when  she 
entered  Barnard  and  Clegg's  in  his  company,  and  saw  Mr. 
Clegg  spring  to  open  the  door  and  to  set  a  chair  for  his  young 
guest,  saw  ?ven  Mr.  Barnard  rise  and  greet  him  with  almost 
reverence.  And  this  honor  she  knew  was  being  paid  to  money, 
the  great  demagogue.  It  was  not  the  man  that  she  admired 
to  whom  they  were  paying  deference,  it  was  to  his  money  !  She 
smiled  to  herself.  It  was  the  man  she  admired,  not  his  money. 

All  that  afternoon  she  worked  with  flying  fingers,  turning 
off  the  work  at  marvellous  speed,  amused  when  she  heard  the 
new  note  of  respect  in  Mr.  Barnard's  voice  as  he  gave  her  a 
direction.  Mr.  Barnard  had  been  greatly  impressed  with  the 
story  Graham  had  told  him,  and  was  also  deeply  grateful  on 
his  own  account  that  Shirley  had  acted  as  she  had,  for  he  had 
been  on  the  verge  of  investing  a  large  trust  fund  that  was  in 
his  keeping  in  the  new  mining  operation,  and  it  would  have 
meant  absolute  failure  for  him. 

When  Shirley  left  the  office  that  night  she  was  almost  too 
tired  to  see  which  trolley  was  coming,  but  some  one  touched 
her  on  the  arm,  and  there  was  Sidney  Graham  waiting  for  her 
beside  his  car, — a  litcle  two-passenger  affair  that  she  had 
never  seen  before  and  that  went  like  the  wind.  They  took  a 
road  they  had  not  travelled  together  before,  and  Shirley  got 
in  joyously,  her  heart  all  in  a  tumult  of  doubts  and  joys  and 
questions. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

WHAT  that  ride  was  to  Shirley  she  hardly  dared  let  her- 
self think  afterwards.  Sitting  cozily  beside  Graham  in  the 
little  racing  car,  gliding  through  the  better  part  of  town 
where  all  the  tall,  imposing  houses  slept  with  drawn  blinds, 
and  dust-covered  shutters  proclaimed  that  their  owners  were 
far  away  from  heat  and  toil.  Out  through  wide  roads  and 
green-hedged  lanes,  where  stately  mansions  set  in  flowers  and 
mimic  landscapes  loomed  far  back  from  road  in  dignified 
seclusion.  Passing  now  and  then  a  car  of  people  who  recog- 
nized Graham  and  bowed  in  the  same  deferential  way  as  they 
had  done  in  the  tea-room.  And  all  the  time  his  eyes  were  upon 
her,  admiring,  delighting;  and  his  care  about  her,  solicitout 
for  her  comfort. 

Once  he  halted  the  car  and  pointed  off  against  the  sunset, 
where  wide  gables  and  battlemented  towers  stood  gray  amidst 
a  setting  of  green  shrubbery  and  trees,  and  velvety  lawns 
reached  far,  to  high,  trim  hedges  arched  in  places  for  an 
entrance  to  the  beautiful  estate. 

"  That  is  my  home  over  there,"  he  said,  and  watched  her 
widening  eyes.  "  I  wish  I  had  time  to  take  you  over  to-night, 
but  I  know  you  are  tired  and  ought  to  get  home  and  rest. 
Another  time  we'll  go  around  that  way/'  And  her  heart 
leaped  up  as  the  car  went  forward  again.  There  was  to  be 
another  time,  then !  Ah !  But  she  must  not  allow  it.  Her 
heart  was  far  too  foolish  already.  Yet  she  would  enjoy  this 
ride,  now  she  was  started. 

They  talked  about  the  sunset  and  a  poem  he  had  lately 

199 


200  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

read.  He  told  her  bits  about  his  journey,  referring  to  his 
experience  at  the  mines,  touching  on  some  amusing  incidents, 
sketching  some  of  the  queer  characters  he  had  met.  Once  he 
asked  her  quite  abruptly  if  she  thought  her  mother  would  be 
disturbed  if  he  had  a  cement  floor  put  in  the  basement  of  the 
barn  some  time  soon.  He  wanted  to  have  it  done  before  cold 
weather  set  in,  and  it  would  dry  better  now  in  the  hot  days. 
Of  course,  if  it  would  be  in  the  least  disturbing  to  any  of  them 
it  could  wait,  but  he  wanted  to  store  a  few  things  there  that 
were  being  taken  out  of  the  office  buildings,  and  he  thought 
they  would  keep  drier  if  there  was  a  cement  floor.  When  she 
«aid  it  would  not  disturb  any  one  in  the  least,  would  on  the 
contrary  be  quite  interesting  for  the  children  to  watch,  she  was 
jdure,  he  went  easily  back  to  California  scenery  and  never 
referred  to  it  again. 

All  through  the  ride,  which  was  across  a  country  she  had 
never  seen  before,  and  ended  at  Glenside  approaching  from  a 
new  direction,  there  was  a  subtle  something  between  them,  a 
sympathy  and  quick  understanding  as  if  they  were  comrades, 
almost  partners  in  a  lot  of  common  interests.  Shirley  chided 
herself  for  it  every  time  she  looked  up  and  caught  his  glance, 
and  felt  the  thrill  of  pleasure  in  this  close  companionship. 
Of  course  it  was  wholly  in  her  own  imagination,  and  due 
entirely  to  the  nervous  strain  through  which  she  had  passed 
that  day,  she  told  herself.  Of  course,  he  had  nothing  in  his 
mind  but  the  most  ordinary  kindly  desire  to  give  her  a  good 
time  out  of  gratitude  for  what  she  had  done  for  him.  But 
nevertheless  it  was  sweet,  and  Shirley  was  loath  to  surrender 
the  joy  of  it  while  it  lasted,  dream  though  it  might  be. 

It  lasted  all  the  way,  even  up  to  the  very  stop  in  front  of 
the  barn  when  he  took  her  hand  to  help  her  out,  and  hi§ 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  201 

fingers  lingered  on  hers  with  just  an  instant's  pressure,  send- 
ing a  thrill  to  her  heart  again,  and  almost  bringing  tears  to 
her  eyes.  Foolishness !  She  was  overwrought.  It  was  a  shame 
that  human  beings  were  so  made  that  they  had  to  become  weak 
like  that  in  a  time  of  pleasant  rejoicing. 

The  family  came  forth  noisily  to  meet  them,  rejoicing 
openly  at  Graham's  return,  George  and  Harley  vying  with 
each  other  to  shout  the  news  about  the  garden  and  the 
chickens  and  the  dove-cote;  Carol  demanding  to  know  where 
was  Elizabeth;  and  Doris  earnestly  looking  in  his  face  and 
repeating : 

"Ickle  budie  fy  away,  Mistah  Gwaham.  All  gone!  All 
ickle  budies  f  y  away !  " 

Even  Mrs.  Hollister  came  smiling  to  the  door  to  meet 
him,  and  the  young  man  had  a  warm  word  of  hearty  greeting 
and  a  hand-shake  for  each  one.  It  was  as  if  he  had  just  got 
home  to  a  place  where  he  loved  to  be,  and  he  could  not  show 
his  joy  enough.  Shirley  stood  back  for  the  moment  watching 
him,  admiring  the  way  his  hair  waved  away  from  his  temples, 
thinking  how  handsome  he  looked  when  he  smiled,  wondering 
that  he  could  so  easily  fit  himself  into  this  group,  which  must 
in  the  nature  of  things  be  utterly  different  from  his  native 
element,  rejoicing  over  the  deference  he  paid  to  her  plain, 
quiet  mother,  thrilling  over  the  kiss  he  gave  her  sweet  little 
sister. 

Then  Mrs.  Hollister  did  something  perfectly  unexpected 
and  dreadful — she  invited  him  to  stay  to  dinner!  Shirley 
stood  back  and  gasped.  Of  course  he  would  decline,  but  think 
of  the  temerity  of  inviting  the  wealthy  and  cultured  Mr. 
Graham  to  take  dinner  in  his  own  barn! 

Oh!     But  he  wasn't  going  to  decline  at  all.     He  was 


202  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

accepting  as  if  it  were  a  great  pleasure  Mrs.  Hollister  was 
conferring  upon  him.  Sure,  he  would  stay!  He  had  been 
wishing  all  the  way  out  they  would  ask  him.  He  had  won- 
dered whether  he  dared  invite  himself. 

Shirley  with  her  cheeks  very  red  hurried  in  to  see  that 
the  table-cloth  was  put  on  straight,  and  look  after  one  or  two 
little  things ;  but  behold,  he  followed  her  out,  and,  gently  in- 
sisting and  assisting,  literally  compelled  her  to  come  and  lie 
down  on  the  couch  while  he  told  the  family  what  she  had 
been  through  that  day.  Shirley  was  so  happy  she  almost 
cried  right  there  before  them  all.  It  was  so  wonderful  to 
have  some  one  take  care  of  her  that  way.  Of  course  it  was 
only  gratitude — but  she  had  been  taking  care  of  other  people 
so  long  that  it  completely  broke  her  down  to  have  some  one 
take  care  of  her. 

The  dinner  went  much  more  easily  than  she  had  supposed 
it  could  with  those  cracked  plates,  and  the  fork?  from  which 
the  silver  was  all  worn  off.  Doris  insisted  that  the  guest  sit 
next  to  her  and  butter  her  bread  for  her,  and  she  occasionally 
caressed  his  coat-sleeve  with  a  sticky  little  hand,  but  he  didn't 
seem  to  mind  it  in  the  least,  and  smiled  down  on  her  in  quite  a 
brotherly  way,  arranging  her  bib  when  it  got  tangled  in  her 
curls,  and  seeing  that  she  had  plenty  of  jelly  on  her  bread. 

It  was  a  beautiful  dinner.  Mother  Hollister  had  known 
what  she  was  about  when  she  selected  that  particular  night  to 
invite  unexpected  company.  There  was  stewed  chicken  on 
little  round  biscuits,  with  plenty  of  gravy  and  currant  jelly, 
mashed  potatoes,  green  peas,  little  new  beets,  and  the  most 
delicious  custard  pie  for  dessert,  all  rich,  velvety  yellow  with 
a  golden-brown  top.  The  guest  ate  as  if  he  enjoyed  it,  and 
asked  for  a  second  piece  of  pie,  just  as  if  he  were  one  of  them. 
It  was  unbelievable  I 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN"  203 

He  helped  clear  off  the  table  too,  and  insisted  on  Carol's 
giving  him  a  wiping-towel  to  help  with  the  dishes.  It  was 
just  like  a  dream. 

The  young  man  tore  himself  reluctantly  away  about  nine 
o'clock  and  went  home,  but  before  he  left  he  took  Shirley's 
'hand  and  looked  into  her  eyes  with  another  of  those  deep 
•inderstanding  glances,  and  Shirley  watched  him  whirling 
away  in  the  moonlight,  and  wondered  if  there  ever  would  be 
another  day  as  beautiful  and  exciting  and  wonderful  as  this 
had  been,  and  whether  she  could  come  down  to  sensible, 
every-day  living  again  by  morning. 

Then  there  was  the  story  of  the  day  to  tell  all  over  again 
after  he  was  gone,  and  put  in  the  little  family  touches  that 
had  been  left  out  when  the  guest  was  there,  and  there  was: 
"  Oh,  did  you  notice  how  admiring  he  looked  when  he  told 
mother  Shirley  had  a  remarkably  keen  mind  ?"  and  "  He  said 
his  father  thought  Shirley  was  the  most  unspoiled-looking 
girl  he  had  ever  seen !  "  and  a  lot  of  other  things  that  Shirley 
hadn't  heard  before. 

Shirley  told  her  mother  what  the  senior  Mr.  Graham  had 
said  about  giving  her  a  reward,  and  her  mother  agreed  that 
she  had  done  just  right  in  declining  anything  for  so  simple 
a  service,  but  she  looked  after  Shirley  with  a  sigh  as  she 
went  to  put  Doris  to  bed,  and  wondered  if  for  this  service 
the  poor  child  was  to  get  a  broken  heart.  It  could  hardly 
be  possible  that  a  girl  could  be  given  much  attention  such  as 
Shirley  had  received  that  day,  from  as  attractive  a  young 
man  as  Graham,  without  feeling  it  keenly  not  to  have  it  con- 
tinue. And  of  course  it  was  out  of  the  question  that  it  should 
continue.  Mrs.  Hollister  decided  that  she  had  done  wrong  to 
invite  the  young  man  to  stay  to  supper,  and  resolved  never 


*04  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

to  offend  in  that  way  again.  It  was  a  wrong  to  Shirley  to  put 
him  on  so  intimate  a  footing  in  the  household,  and  it  could 
not  but  bring  her  sadness.  He  was  a  most  unusual  young  man 
to  have  even  wanted  to  stay,  but  one  must  not  take  that  for 
more  than  a  passing  whim,  and  Shirley  must  be  protected  at 
all  hazards. 

"Now,"  said  the  elder  Graham  the  next  morning,  when 
the  business  of  the  day  was  well  under  way  and  he  had  time 
to  send  for  his  son  to  come  into  his  office,  "  now,  I  want  you  to 
tell  me  all  about  that  little  girl,  and  what  you  think  we  ought 
to  give  her.  What  did  she  mean  by  e  obligations 9  yesterday  ? 
Have  you  been  doing  anything  for  her,  son  ?  I  meant  to  ask 
you  last  night,  but  you  came  home  so  late  I  couldn't  sit  up." 

And  then  Sidney  Graham  told  his  father  the  whole  story, 
It  was  different  from  telling  his  mother.  He  knew  no  barn 
would  have  the  power  to  prejudice  his  father. 

"And  you  say  that  girl  lives  in  the  old  barn ! "  exclaimed 
the  father  when  the  story  was  finished.  "Why,  the  nervy 
little  kid !  And  she  looks  as  if  she  came  out  of  a  bandbox ! 
Well,  she's  a  bully  little  girl  and  no  mistake!  Well,  now, 
son,  what  can  we  do  for  her?  We  ought  to  do  something 
pretty  nice.  You  see  it  wasn't  just  the  money  we  might 
have  lost.  That  would  have  been  a  mere  trifle  beside  getting 
all  those  other  folks  balled  up  in  the  mess.  Why,  I'd  have 
given  every  cent  I  own  before  I'd  have  had  Fuller  and  Brown- 
ing and  Barnard  and  Wilts  get  entangled.  I  tell  you,  son,  it 
was  a  great  escape ! " 

"  Yes,  father,  and  it  was  a  great  lesson  for  me.  I'll  never 
be  buncoed  as  easily  again.  But  about  Miss  Hollister,  I  don't 
know  what  to  say.  She's  very  proud  and  sensitive.  I  had  an 
awful  time  doing  the  little  things  I  just  had  to  do  to  that  barn 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  206 

without  her  suspecting  I  was  doing  it  especially  for  her. 
Father,  you  ought  to  go  out  there  and  meet  the  family;  then 
you'd  understand.  They're  not  ordinary  people.  Their  father 
was  a  college  professor  and  wrote  things.  They're  cultured 
people." 

"  Well,  I  want  to  meet  them.  Why  don't  we  go  out  there 
and  call  to-day?  I  think  they  must  be  worth  knowing." 

So  late  that  afternoon  the  father  and  son  rode  out  to 
Glenside,  and  when  Shirley  and  George  reached  home  they 
found  the  car  standing  in  front  of  their  place,  and  the 
Grahams  comfortably  seated  in  the  great  open  doorway, 
enjoying  the  late  afternoon  breeze,  and  seemingly  perfectly 
at  home  in  their  own  barn. 

"  I'm  not  going  to  swarm  here  every  day,  Miss  Shirley," 
said  the  son,  rising  and  coming  out  to  meet  her.  "You  see 
father  hadn't  heard  about  the  transformation  of  the  old  barn, 
and  the  minute  I  told  him  about  it  he  haa  to  come  right  out 
and  see  it." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  father,  smiling  contentedly,  "  I  had  to 
come  and  see  what  you'd  done  out  here.  I've  played  in  the 
hay  up  in  that  loft  many  a  day  in  my  time,  and  I  love  the  old 
barn.  It's  great  to  see  it  all  fixed  up  so  cozy.  But  we're  going 
home  now  and  let  you  have  your  dinner.  We  just  waited  to 
say  '  Howdy '  to  you  before  we  left." 

They  stayed  a  few  minutes  longer,  however,  and  the  senior 
Granam  talked  with  Shirley  while  he  held  Doris  on  his  knee 
and  stroked  her  silky  hair,  and  she  nestled  in  his  arms  quite 
content. 

Then,  although  young  Graham  was  quite  loath  to  leave  so 
soon,  they  went,  for  he  could  not  in  conscience,  expect  an 
invitation  to  dinner  two  days  in  succession. 


806  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

They  rode  away  into  the  sunset,  going  across  country  to 
their  home  without  going  back  to  town,  and  Doris,  as  she 
stood  with  the  others  watching  them  away,  murmured  softly : 

"  Nice  f avver-man !     Nice  Gwaham  f avver  man !  " 

The  "  nice-Graham-father-man  "  was  at  that  moment  re- 
marking to  his  son  in  very  decided  tones,  as  he  turned  to  get 
a  last  glimpse  of  the  old  barn : 

"That  old  barn  door  ought  to  come  down  right  away, 
Sid,  and  a  nice  big  old-fashioned  door  with  glass  around  the 
sides  made  to  fill  the  space.  That  door  is  an  eyesore  on  the 
place,  and  they  need  a  piazza.  People  like  those  can't  live 
with  a  great  door  like  that  to  open  and  shut  every  day." 

"  Yes,  father,  I've  thought  of  that,  but  I  don't  just  know 
how  to  manage  it.  You  see  they're  not  objects  of  charity. 
I've  been  thinking  about  some  way  to  fix  up  a  heating 
arrangement  without  hurting  their  feelings,  so  they  could 
stay  there  all  winter.  I  know  they  hate  to  go  back  to  the 
city,  and  they're  only  paying  ten  dollars  a  month.  It's  all 
they  can  afford.  What  could  they  get  in  the  city  for  that  ?  M 

"  Great  Scott !  A  girl  like  that  living  in  a  house  she 
could  get  for  ten  dollars,  when  some  of  these  feather-brained 
baby-dolls  we  know  can't  get  on  with  less  than  three  or 
four  houses  that  cost  from  fifty  to  a  hundred  thousand  dollars 
apiece !  Say,  son,  that's  a  peach  of  a  girl,  do  you  know  it  ? 
A  peach  of  a  girl !  I've  been  talking  with  her,  and  she  has  a 
very  superior  mind." 

"  I  know  she  has,  father,"  answered  the  son  humbly. 

"I  say,  Sid,  why  don't  you  marry  her?  That  would 
solve  the  whole  problem.  Then  you  could  fix  up  the  old 
barn  into  a  regular  house  for  her  folks." 

"Well,  father,  that's  just  what  I've  made  up  my  mind 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  207 

to  do — if  shell  have  me/'  said  the  son  with  a  gleam  of  triumph 
in  his  eyes. 

"  Bully  for  you,  Sid !  Bully  for  you !  "  and  the  father  gave 
his  son's  broad  shoulder  a  resounding  slap.  "  Why,  Sid,  I 
didn't  think  you  had  that  much  sense.  Your  mother  gave 
me  to  understand  that  you  were  philandering  around  with 
that  dolly-faced  Harriet  Hale,  and  I  couldn't  see  what  you 
saw  in  her.  But  if  you  mean  it,  son,  I'm  with  you  every 
time.  That  girl's  a  peach,  and  you  couldn't  get  a  finer  if  you 
searched  the  world  over." 

"Yes,  I'm  afraid  mother's  got  her  heart  set  on  Harriet 
Hale,"  said  the  son  dubiously,  "  but  I  can't  see  it  that  way." 

"  H'm !  Your  mother  likes  show,"  sighed  the  father  com- 
ically, "but  she's  got  a  good  heart,  and  she'll  bowl  over  all 
right  and  make  the  best  of  it.  You  know  neither  your  mother 
nor  I  were  such  high  and  mighties  when  we  were  young,  and 
we  married  for  love.  But  now,  if  you  really  mean  business,  I 
don't  see  why  we  can't  do  something  right  away.  When  does 
that  girl  have  her  vacation?  Of  course  she  gets  one  some- 
time. Why  couldn't  your  mother  just  invite  the  whole  family 
to  occupy  the  shore  cottage  for  a  little  while, — get  up  some 
excuse  or  other, — ask  'em  to  take  care  of  it?  You  know  it's 
lying  idle  all  this  summer,  and  two  servants  down  there 
growing  fat  with  nothing  to  do.  We  might  ship  Elizabeth 
down  there  and  let  'em  be  company  for  her.  They  seem  like 
a  fine  set  of  children.  It  would  do  Elizabeth  good  to  know 
them." 

"  Oh,  she's  crazy  about  them.  She's  been  out  a  number  of 
times  with  me,  and  don't  you  remember  she  had  Carol  out 
to  stay  with  her?" 

"  Was  that  the  black-eyed,  sensible  girl?    Well,  I  declare! 


208  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

I  didn't  recognize  her.  She  was  all  dolled  up  out  at  oui 
house.  I  suppose  Elizabeth  loaned  'em  to  her,  eh?  Well, 
I'm  glad.  She's  got  sense,  too.  That's  the  kind  of  people  I 
like  my  children  to  know.  Now  if  that  vacation  could  only 
be  arranged  to  come  when  your  mother  and  I  take  that  Western 
trip,  why,  it  would  be  just  the  thing  for  Elizabeth,  work  right 
all  around.  Now,  the  thing  for  you  to  do  is  to  find  out  about 
that  vacation,  and  begin  to  work  things.  Then  you  could 
have  everything  all  planned,  and  rush  the  work  so  it  would  be 
done  by  the  time  they  came  back." 

So  the  two  conspirators  plotted,  while  all  unconscious  of 
their  interest  Shirley  was  trying  to  get  herself  in  hand  and 
not  thick  how  Graham's  eyes  had  looked  when  he  said  good- 
night to 


CHAPTEK  XIX 

SINCE  the  pastor  from  the  village  had  called  upon  them, 
the  young  people  of  the  stone  barn  had  been  identified  with 
the  little  white  church  in  the  valley.  Shirley  had  taken  a 
class  of  boys  in  the  Sunday-school  and  was  playing  the  organ, 
as  George  had  once  predicted.  Carol  was  helping  the  primary 
teacher,  George  was  assistant  librarian  and  secretary,  Harley 
was  in  Shirley's  class,  and  Doris  was  one  of  the  primaries. 

Shirley  had  at  once  identified  herself  with  the  struggling 
little  Christian  Endeavor  society  and  was  putting  new  life 
into  it,  with  her  enthusiasm,  her  new  ideas  about  getting  hold 
of  the  young  people  of  the  community,  and  her  wonderful 
knack  of  getting  the  silent  ones  to  te  ke  part  in  the  meetings. 
She  had  suggested  new  committees,  had  invited  the  music 
committee  to  meet  her  at  her  home  some  evening  to  plan  out 
special  music,  and  to  cooperate  with  the  social  committee  in 
planning  for  music  at  the  socials.  She  always  carried  a  few 
appropriate  clippings  or  neatly  written  verses  or  other  quota- 
tions to  meeting  to  slip  into  the  hands  of  some  who  had  not 
prepared  to  speak,  and  she  saw  to  it  that  her  brothers  and 
sisters  were  always  ready  to  say  something.  Withal,  she  did 
her  part  so  unobtrusively  that  none  of  the  old  members  could 
think  she  was  trying  to  usurp  power  or  make  herself  prom- 
inent. She  became  a  quiet  power  behind  the  powers,  to  whom 
the  president  and  all  the  other  officers  came  for  advice,  and 
who  seemed  always  ready  to  help  in  any  work,  or  to  find  a 
way  out  of  any  difficulty.  Christian  Endeavor  in  the  little 
White  church  at  once  took  great  strides  after  the  advent  of 
14  <i09 


210  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

the  Hollisters,  and  even  the  idlers  on  the  street  corners  were 
moved  with  curiosity  to  drop  into  the  twilight  service  of  the 
young  people  and  see  what  went  on,  and  why  everybody  seemed 
so  interested.  But  the  secret  of  it  all,  Shirley  thought,  was 
the  little  five-minute  prayer  service  that  the  prayer-meeting 
committee  held  in  the  tiny  primary  room  just  before  the 
regular  meeting.  Shirley  as  chairman  of  the  prayer-meeting 
committee  had  started  this  little  meeting,  and  she  always  came 
into  the  larger  room  with  an  exalted  look  upon  her  face  and  a 
feeling  of  strength  in  her  heart  from  this  brief  speaking  with 
her  Master. 

Shirley  was  somewhat  aghast  the  next  Sabbath  to  have 
Sidney  Graham  arrive  and  ask  her  to  take  a  ride  with  him. 

"Why,  I  was  just  going  to  church,"  she  said,  half  hesi- 
tating, and  then  smiling  bravely  up  at  him ;  "  besides,  I  have 
a  Sunday-school  class.  I  couldn't  very  well  leave  them,  you 
know." 

He  looked  at  her  for  a  moment  thoughtfully,  trying  to 
bridge  in  his  thoughts  this  difference  between  them.  Then 
he  said  quite  humbly, 

"  Will  you  take  me  with  you?" 

"To  church?"  she  asked,  and  there  was  a  glad  ring  in 
her  voice.  Would  he  really  go  to  church  with  her  ? 

"  Yes,  and  to  Sunday  School  if  I  may.  I  haven't  been  to 
Sunday  School  in  years.  I'd  like  to  go  if  you'll  only  let  me." 

Her  cheeks  grew  rosy.  She  had  a  quick  mental  picture 
of  putting  him  in  Deacon  Pettigrew's  Bible  class. 

"I'm  afraid  there  isn't  any  class  you  would  enjoy,"  she 
began  with  a  troubled  look.  "Ifs  only  a  little  country 
church,  you  know.  They  don't  have  all  the  modern  system, 
and  very  few  teachers." 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  211 

"  I  should  enjoy  going  into  your  class  very  much  if  I 
might." 

"  Oh,  mine  are  just  boys,  just  little  boys  like  Harley ! " 
said  Shirley,  aghast. 

"  I've  been  a  little  boy  once,  you  know  I  should  enjoy  it 
very  much,"  said  the  applicant  with  satisfaction. 

"Oh,  but — I  couldn't  teach  you!"  There  was  dismay  in 
her  voice. 

"  Couldn't  you,  though  ?  You've  taught  me  more  in  the 
few  months  I've  known  you  'than  I've  learned  in  that  many 
years  from  others.  Try  me.  I'll  be  very  good.  I'll  be  a  boy 
with  the  rest  of  them,  and  you  can  just  forget  I'm  there  and 
go  ahead.  I  really  am  serious  about  it.  I  want  to  hear  what 
you  have  to  say  to  them." 

"  Oh,  I  couldn't  teach  with  you  there  I  "  exclaimed  Shirley, 
putting  her  hands  on  her  hot  cheeks  and  looking  like  a  fright- 
ened little  child.  "  Indeed  I  couldn't,  really.  I'm  not  much 
of  a  teacher.  I'm  only  a  beginner.  1  shouldn't  know  how 
to  talk  before  any  but  children." 

He  watched  her  silently  for  a  minute,  his  face  grave  with 
wistfulness. 

"Why  do  you  teach  them?"  he  asked  rather  irrelevantly. 

"  Because — why,  because  I  want  to  help  them  to  live  right 
lives ;  I  want  to  teach  them  how  to  know  God." 

"Why?" 

"So  that  they  will  be  saved.  Because  it  was  Christ's 
command  that  His  disciples  should  give  the  message.  I  am 
(Bis  disciple,  so  I  have  to  tell  the  message." 

"  Was  there  any  special  stipulation  as  to  whom  that  mes- 
sage should  be  given?"  asked  the  young  man  thoughtfully. 
"Did  He  say  you  were  just  to  give  it  to  those  boys?" 


213  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Why,  no ;  it  was  to  be  given  to — all  the  world,  every 
creature/'  Shirley  spoke  the  words  hesitatingly,  a  dimple 
beginning  to  show  in  her  cheek  as  her  eyelids  drooped  over 
her  shy  eyes. 

"And  don't  I  come  in  on  that?"  asked  Graham,  with  a 
twinkle  that  reminded  Shirley  of  his  father. 

Shirley  had  to  laugh  shamefacedly  then. 

"But  I  couldn't!"  said  Shirley.  "I'd  be  so  scared  I 
couldn't  think  of  a  thing  to  say." 

"You're  not  afraid  of  me,  Miss  Shirley?  You  wouldn't 
be  scared  if  you  thought  I  really  needed  to  know  the  message, 
would  you  ?  Well,  I  really  do,  as  much  as  any  of  those  kids." 

Shirley  looked  steadily  into  his  earnest  eyes  and  saw  some- 
thing there  that  steadied  her  nerve.  The  laughter  died  out 
of  her  own  eyes,  and  a  beautiful  light  of  longing  came  into 
them. 

"All  right,"  she  said,  with  a  little  lift  of  her  chin  as  if 
girding  up  her  strength  to  the  task.  "You  may  come,  and 
I'll  do  the  best  I  can,  but  I'm  afraid  it  will  be  a  poor  best. 
I've  only  a  little  story  to  tell  them  this  morning." 

"  Please  give  them  just  what  you  had  intended.  I  want 
*lie  real  thing,  just  as  a  boy  would  get  it  from  you.  Will  the 
rest  of  them  come  in  the  car  with  us  ?  " 

Shirley  was  very  quiet  during  the  ride  to  church.  She 
let  the  rest  do  all  the  talking,  and  she  sat  looking  off  at  the 
woods  and  praying  for  help,  trying  to  calm  the  flutter  of  her 
frightened  heart,  trying  to  steady  her  nerves  and  brace  her- 
self to  teach  the  lesson  just  as  she  had  intended  to  teach  it. 

She  watched  him  furtively  during  the  opening  exercises, 
the  untrained  singing,  the  monotonous  prayer  of  an  old 
farmer-elder,  the  dry  platitudes  of  the  illiterate  superintend- 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  218 

ent ;  but  he  sat  respectfully  listening,  taking  it  all  for  what  it 
was  worth,  the  best  service  these  people  knew  how  to  render 
to  their  Maker. 

Somehow  her  heart  had  gained  the  strength  she  needed 
from  the  prayers  she  breathed  continually,  and  when  the  time 
for  teaching  the  lesson  arrived  she  came  to  her  class  with 
quietness. 

There  was  a  little  awe  upon  the  boys  because  of  the 
stranger  in  their  midst.  They  did  not  fling  the  hymn-books 
down  with  a  noisy  thud,  nor  send  the  lesson  leaves  flying  like 
winged  darts  across  the  room  quite  so  much  as  they  were 
wont  to  do.  They  looked  askance  at  Harley,  who  sat  proudly 
by  the  visitor,  supplying  him  with  Bibles,  hymn-books,  lesson 
leaves,  and  finding  the  place  for  him  officiously.  But  Graham 
eat  among  the  boys  without  ostentation,  and  made  as  little 
of  his  own  presence  as  possible.  He  smiled  at  them  now  and 
then,  put  a  handful  of  silver  into  the  collection  envelope  when 
they  would  have  passed  him  by,  and  promised  a  ride  to  one 
fellow  who  ventured  to  ask  him  hoarsely  if  that  was  his  car 
outside  the  church. 

Shirley  had  made  up  her  mind  to  forget  as  far  as  she 
could  the  presence  of  the  visitor  in  the  class,  and  to  this 
end  ehe  fixed  her  eyes  upon  the  worst  little  boy  present, 
the  boy  who  got  up  all  the  disturbances,  and  made  all  the 
noises,  and  was  the  most  adorable,  homely,  sturdy  young  imp 
the  Valley  Church  could  produce.  He  sat  straight  across  from 
her,  while  Graham  was  at  the  side,  and  she  could  see  in 
Jack's  eye  that  he  meant  mischief  if  he  could  overcome  his 
awe  of  the  stranger.  So  before  Jack  could  possibly  get 
started  she  began  her  story,  and  told  it  straight  to  Jack, 
never  taking  her  eyes  from  his  face  from  start  to  finish,  and 


214  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

before  she  was  half-way  through  she  had  her  little  audience 
enthralled.  It  was  a  story  of  the  Bible  told  in  modern  setting, 
and  told  straight  to  the  heart  of  a  boy  who  was  the  counter- 
part in  his  own  soul  of  the  man  whom  Christ  cured  and  for- 
gave. What  Graham  was  thinking  or  looking  Shirley  did 
not  know.  She  had  literally  forgotten  his  existence  after  the 
first  few  minutes.  She  had  seen  the  gleam  of  interest  in  the 
eyes  of  the  boy  Jack;  she  knew  that  her  message  was  going 
home  to  a  convicted  young  soul,  and  that  he  saw  himself 
and  his  own  childish  sins  in  the  sinful  life  of  the  hero  of  her 
tale.  Her  whole  soul  was  bent  on  making  him  see  the  Saviour 
who  could  make  that  young  life  over.  Not  until  the  story 
was  almost  finished  did  any  one  of  the  listeners,  unless  per- 
haps Harley,  who  was  used  to  such  story-recitals,  have  a  sus- 
picion that  the  story  was  just  a  plain,  ordinary  chapter  out 
of  the  Bible.  Then  suddenly  one  of  the  elder  boys  broke 
forth:  "Aw!  Gee!  That's  just  the  man  in  the  Bible  let 
down  through  the  roof!"  There  was  a  slight  stir  in  the 
class  at  the  discovery  as  it  dawned  upon  them  that  the  teacher 
had  "  put  one  over  on  them  "  again,  but  the  interest  for  the 
most  part  was  sustained  breathlessly  until  the  superintend- 
ent's bell  rang,  and  the  heads  drew  together  in  an  absorbed 
group  around  her  for  the  last  few  sentences,  spoken  in  a  lower 
tone  because  the  general  hum  of  teaching  in  the  room  had 
?eased. 

Graham's  face  was  very  grave  and  thoughtful  as  she 
finished  and  slipped  away  from  them  to  take  her  place  at  the 
little  organ.  One  could  see  that  it  was  not  in  the  teacher 
alone,  but  in  her  message  as  well,  that  he  was  interested. 
The  boys  all  had  that  subdued,  half-ashamed,  half-defiant 
look  that  boys  have  when  they  have  been  caught  looking 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  215 

ferious.  Each  boy  frowned  and  studied  his  toes,  or  hunted 
Assiduously  in  his  hymn-book  to  hide  his  confusion,  and  the 
class  in  various  keys  lifted  up  assertive  young  voices  vigor- 
ously in  the  last  hymn. 

Graham  sat  beside  Shirley  in  the  little  crowded  church 
during  the  rather  monotonous  service.  The  regular  pastor, 
who  was  a  good,  spiritual  man  if  not  a  brilliant  one,  and  gave 
his  congregation  solid,  practical  sermons,  was  on  his  vaca- 
tion, and  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  a  young  theologue  who 
was  so  new  to  his  work  that  his  sermon  was  a  rather  in- 
volved effort.  But  so  strong  was  the  power  of  the  Sunday- 
school  lesson  to  which  he  had  just  listened  that  Graham  felt 
as  if  he  were  sitting  in  some  hallowed  atmosphere.  He  did 
not  see  the  red-faced,  embarrassed  young  preacher,  nor  notice 
his  struggles  to  bring  forth  his  message  bravely;  he  saw  only 
the  earnest-faced  young  teacher  as  she  spoke  the  words  of 
life  to  her  boys ;  saw  the  young  imp-faces  of  her  boys  softened 
a'tid  touched  by  the  story  she  told;  saw  that  she  really  be- 
lieved and  felt  every  word  she  spoke;  and  knew  that  there 
^as  something  in  it  all  that  he  wanted. 

The  seat  was  crowded  and  the  day  was  warm,  but  the 
two  who  looked  over  the  same  hymn-book  did  not  notice  it. 
The  soft,  air  came  in  from  the  open  window  beside  them, 
breathing  sweet  clover  and  wild  honeysuckle,  and  the  meadow- 
larks  sang  their  songs,  and  made  it  seem  just  like  a  little  bit 
of  heaven. 

Shirley's  muslin  frills  trembled  against  Graham's  hand 
as  she  reached  to  catch  a  fluttering  leaf  of  the  hymn-book 
that  the  wind  had  caught;  once  her  hand  brushed  the  coat- 
sleeve  beside  her  as  they  turned  the  page,  and  she  felt  the 
soft  texture  of  the  fine  dark  blue  goods  with  a  pleasant  sense 


216  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

of  the  beautiful  and  fitting.  It  thrilled  her  to  think  ha 
was  standing  thus  beside  her  in  her  own  little  church,  yielding 
himself  to  the  same  worship  with  her  in  the  little  common 
country  congregation.  It  was  wonderful,  beautiful !  And  to 
have  come  to  her!  She  glanced  shyly  up  at  him,  so  hand- 
some, standing  there  singing,  his  hand  almost  touching  hers 
holding  the  book.  He  felt  her  glance  and  answered  it  with  a 
look  and  smile,  their  eyes  holding  each  other  for  just  the 
fraction  of  a  second  in  which  some  inner  thought  was  inter- 
changed, some  question  asked  and  answered  by  the  invisible* 
flash  of  heart-beats,  a  mutual  joining  in  the  spiritual  service, 
and  then  half-frightened  Shirley  dropped  her  eyes  to  the 
page  and  the  soft  roses  stole  into  her  cheeks  again.  She  felt 
as  if  she  had  seen  something  in  his  eyes  and  acknowledged 
it  in  her  own,  as  if  she  had  inadvertently  shown  him  her 
heart  in  that  glance,  and  that  heart  of  hers  was  leaping  and 
bounding  with  an  uncontrollable  joy,  while  her  conscience 
sought  by  every  effort  to  get  it  in  control.  What  nonsense,  it 
said,  what  utter  folly,  to  make  so  much  of  his  coming  to 
church  with  her  once!  To  allow  her  soul  to  get  into  such  a 
flutter  over  a  man  who  had  no  more  idea  of  noticing  her  or 
caring  for  her  than  he  had  for  a  bird  on  the  tree. 

And  with  all  the  tumult  in  her  heart  she  did  not  even 
see  the  envious  glances  of  the  village  maidens  who  stared 
and  stared  with  all  their  might  at  the  handsome  man  who 
came  to  church  in  an  expensive  car  and  brought  the  girl  who 
lived  in  a  barn!  Shirley's  social  position  went  up  several 
notches,  and  she  never  even  knew  it.  In  fact,  she  was  be- 
coming a  great  puzzle  to  the  residents  of  Glenside. 

It  was  good  to  know  that  for  once  the  shabby  collection- 
box  of  the  little  church  was  borne  back  to  the  altar  laden 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  217 

with  a  goodly  bill,  put  in  with  so  little  ostentation  that  one 
might  have  judged  it  but  a  penny,  looking  on,  though  even  a 
penny  would  have  made  more  noise  in  the  unlined  wooden  box. 

After  the  service  was  over  Graham  went  out  with  the 
children,  while  Shirley  lingered  to  play  over  an  accompani- 
ment for  a  girl  who  was  going  to  sing  at  the  vesper  service 
that  afternoon.  He  piled  all  the  children  in  the  back  seat 
of  the  car,  put  the  boy  he  had  promised  a  ride  in  the  seat 
beside  him,  took  a  spin  around  the  streets,  and  was  back  in 
front  of  the  church  by  the  time  Shirley  came  out.  Then  that 
foolish  heart  of  hers  had  to  leap  again  at  the  thought  that 
he  had  saved  the  front  seat  for  her.  The  boy  descended  as 
if  he  had  been  caught  up  into  heaven  for  a  brief  space,  and 
would  never  forget  it  the  rest  of  his  life. 

There  was  that  same  steady  look  of  trust  and  understand- 
ing in  Graham's  eyes  whenever  he  looked  at  her  on  the  way 
home,  and  once  while  the  children  were  talking  together  in 
the  back  seat  he  leaned  toward  her  and  said  in  a  low  tone: 

"  I  wonder  if  you  will  let  me  take  you  away  for  a  little 
while  this  afternoon  to  a  quiet  place  I  know  where  there  is 
a  beautiful  view,  and  let  us  sit  and  talk.  There  are  some 
things  I  want  to  ask  you,  about  what  you  said  this  morning. 
I  was  very  much  interested  in  it  all,  and  I'm  deeply  grateful 
that  you  let  me  go.  Now,  will  you  go  with  me  ?  I'll  bring  you 
back  in  time  for  the  Christian  Endeavor  service,  and  you  see 
'in  the  meantime  I'm  inviting  myself  to  dinner.  Do  you 
think  your  mother  will  object?" 

What  was  there  for  Shirley  to  do  but  accept  this  alluring 
invitation?  She  did  not  believe  in  going  off  on  pleasure 
excursions  on  the  Sabbath,  but  this  request  that  she  ride  to  a 
quiet  place  out-of-doors  for  a  religious  talk  could  not  offend 


218  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

her  strongest  sense  of  what  was  right  on  the  Sabbath  day. 
And  surely,  if  the  Lord  had  a  message  for  her  to  bear,  she 
must  bear  it  to  whomsoever  He  sent.  This,  then,  was  this 
man's  interest  in  her,  that  she  had  been  able  to  make  him 
think  of  God.  A  glad  elation  filled  her  heart,  something  deep 
and  true  stirred  within  her  and  lifted  her  above  the  thought  of 
self,  like  a  blessing  from  on  high.  To  be  asked  to  bring  light 
to  a  soul  like  this  one,  this  was  honor  indeed.  This  was  an 
answer  to  her  prayer  of  the  morning,  that  she  might  fulfil 
God's  pleasure  with  the  lesson  of  the  day.  The  message  then 
had  reached  his  soul.  It  was  enough.  She  would  think  no  more 
of  self. 

Yet  whenever  she  looked  at  him  and  met  that  smile  again 
she  was  thrilled  with  joy  in  spite  of  herself.  At  least  there 
was  a  friendliness  here  beyond  the  common  acquaintance,  a 
something  that  was  true,  deep,  lasting,  even  though  worlds 
should  separate  them  in  the  future;  a  something  built  on  a 
deep  understanding,  sympathy  and  common  interests.  Well, 
so  be  it.  She  would  rejoice  that  it  had  been  given  her  to  know 
one  man  of  the  world  in  this  beautiful  way;  and  her  foolish 
little  human  heart  should  understand  what  a  high,  true  thing 
this  was  that  must  not  be  misunderstood. 

So  she  reasoned  with  herself,  and  watched  him  during  the 
dinner,  among  the  children,  out  in  the  yard  among  the  flowers 
and  animals,  everywhere,  he  seemed  so  fine  and  splendid,  so  farj 
above  all  other  men  that  she  had  ever  met.  A.nd  her  mother, 
watching,  trembled  for  her  when  she  saw  her  happy  face. 

"  Do  you  think  you  ought  to  go  with  him,  daughter  ? " 
she  asked  with  troubled  eyes,  when  they  were  left  alone  for  a 
moment  after  dinner.  "You  know  it  is  the  Sabbath,  and 
you  know  his  life  is  very  different  from  ours." 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  219 

"  Mother,  he  wants  to  talk  about  the  Sunday  School  lesson 
this  morning,"  said  Shirley  shyly.  "  I  guess  he  is  troubled, 
perhaps,  and  wants  me  to  help  him.  I  guess  he  has  never 
thought  much  about  religious  things." 

"  Well,  daughter  dear,  be  careful.  Do  all  you  can  for  him, 
of  course,  but  remember,  don't  let  your  heart  stray  out  of 
your  keeping.  He  is  very  attractive,  dear,  and  very  uncon- 
ventional for  a  wealthy  man.  I  think  he  is  true  and  wouldn't 
mean  to  trifle,  bat  he  wouldn't  realize." 

"  I  know;  mother ;  don't  you  be  afraid  for  me ! "  said 
Shirley  with  a  lofty  look,  half  of  exultation,  half  of  proud 
self -command. 

He  took  her  to  a  mossy  place  beside  a  little  stream,  where 
the  light  filtered  down  through  the  lacy  leaves  flecking  the 
bank,  and  braided  golden  currents  in  the  water;  with  green 
and  purple  hazy  hills  in  the  distance,  and  just  enough  se- 
clusion for  a  talk  without  being  too  far  away  from  the 
world. 

"  My  little  sister  says  that  you  people  have  a  '  real ' 
God,"  he  said,  when  sne  was  comfortably  fixed  with  cushions 
from  the  car  at  her  back  against  a  tall  tree-trunk.  "  She 
says  you  seem  to  realize  His  presence — I  don't  know  just  how 
to  say  it,  but  I'd  like  to  know  if  this  is  so.  I'd  like  to  know 
what  makes  you  different  from  other  girls,  and  your  home 
different  from  most  of  the  homes  I  know.  I'd  like  to  know 
if  I  may  have  it  too." 

That  was  the  beginning. 

Shirley,  shy  as  a  bird  at  first,  having  never  spoken  on 
such  subjects  except  to  children,  yet  being  well  versed  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  feeling  her  faith  with  every  atom  of  her 
being,  drew  out  her  little  Bible  that  she  had  slipped  vuta 


220  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

her  pocket  when  they  started,  and  plunged  into  the  great 
subject. 

Never  had  preacher  more  earnest  listener,  or  more  lovely 
temple  in  which  to  preach.  And  if  sometimes  the  young 
man's  thoughts  for  a  few  moments  strayed  from  the  subject 
to  rest  his  eyes  in  tenderness  upon  the  lovely  face  of  the 
young  teacher,  and  long  to  draw  her  into  his  arms  and  claim 
her  for  his  own,  he  might  well  have  been  forgiven.  For 
Shirley  was  very  fair,  with  the  light  of  other  worlds  in  her 
face,  her  eyes  all  sparkling  with  her  eagerness,  her  lips  aglow 
with  words  that  seemed  to  be  given  her  for  the  occasion.  She 
taught  him  simply,  not  trying  to  go  into  deep  arguments, 
but  urging  the  only  way  she  knew,  the  way  of  taking  Christ's 
promise  on  its  face  value,  the  way  of  being  willing  to  do  Hifl 
will,  trusting  it  to  Him  to  reveal  Himself,  and  the  truth  of 
the  doctrine,  and  make  the  believer  sure. 

They  talked  until  the  sun  sunk  low,  and  the  calling  of 
the  wood-birds  warned  them  that  the  Endeavor  hour  was 
near.  Before  they  left  the  place  he  asked  her  for  the  little 
Bible,  and  she  laid  it  in  his  hand  with  joy  that  he  wanted  it, 
that  she  was  chosen  to  give  him  a  gift  so  precious. 

"  It  is  all  marked  up,"  she  said  apologetically.  "  I  always 
mark  the  verses  I  love,  or  have  had  some  special  experience 
with." 

"It  will  be  that  much  more  precious  to  me,"  he  said 
gently,  fingering  the  leaves  reverently,  and  then  he  looked  up 
and  gave  her  one  of  those  deep  looks  that  seemed  to  say  so 
much  to  her  heart.  And  all  at  once  she  realized  that  she  was 
on  earth  once  more,  and  that  his  presence  and  his  look  were 
yery  precious  to  her.  Her  cheeks  grew  pink  with  the  joy  of 
it,  and  she  looked  down  in  confusion  and  could  not 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

so  she  rose  to  her  feet.  But  he,  springing  at  once  to  help 
her  up,  kept  her  hand  for  just  an  instant  with  earnest  pressure, 
and  said  in  deeply  moved  tones: 

"  You  don't  know  what  you  have  done  for  me  this  after- 
noon, my — friend!"  He  waited  with  her  hand  in  his  an  in- 
stant as  if  he  were  going  to  say  more,  but  had  decided  it 
were  better  not.  The  silence  was  so  compelling  that  she  looked 
up  into  his  eyes,  meeting  his  smile,  and  that  said  so  many 
things  her  heart  went  into  a  tumult  again  and  could  not 
quite  come  to  itself  all  through  the  Christian  Endeavor 
service. 

On  the  way  home  from  the  church  he  talked  a  little  about 
her  vacation:  when  it  came,  how  long  it  lasted,  what  she 
would  do  with  it.  Just  as  they  reached  home  he  said, 

"I  hope  you  will  pray  for  me,  my  friend!" 

There  was  something  wonderful  in  the  way  he  said  that 
word  "  friend."  It  thrilled  her  through  and  through  as  she 
stood  beside  the  road  and  watched  him  speed  away  into  the 
evening. 

"My  friend!  I  hope  you  will  pray  for  me,  my  friend!" 
It  sang  a  glory-song  down  in  her  heart  as  she  turned  to  go  in 
with  the  vivid  glory  of  the  sunset  on  her  face. 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  cement  floor  had  been  down  a  week  and  was  as  hard 
\IE  a  rock,  when  one  day  two  or  three  wagon-loads  of  things 
arrived  with  a  note  from  Graham  to  Mrs.  Hollister  to  say  that 
he  would  be  glad  if  these  might  be  stored  in  one  corner  of  the 
basement  floor,  where  they  would  oe  out  of  her  way  and  not 
take  up  too  much  room. 

Harley  and  George  went  down  to  look  them  over  that 
evening. 

"  He  said  something  about  some  things  being  taken  from 
the  office  building,"  said  Harley,  kicking  a  pile  of  iron  pipes 
with  his  toe. 

"  These  don't  look  like  any  old  things  that  have  been 
used,"  said  George  thoughtfully.  "  They  look  perfectly  new." 
Then  he  studied  them  a  few  minutes  more  from  another 
angle,  and  shut  his  lips  judiciously.  He  belonged  to  the 
boy  species  that  has  learned  to  "shut  up  and  saw  wood/*' 
whatever  that  expression  may  mean.  If  anything  was  to 
come  out  of  that  pile  of  iron  in  the  future,  he  did  not  mean  to 
break  confidence  with  anybody's  secrets.  He  walked  away 
whistling  and  said  nothing  further  about  them. 

The  next  day  Mrs.  Graham  came  down  upon  the  Hollisters 
in  her  limousine,  and  an  exquisite  toilet  of  organdie  and 
ribbons.  She  was  attended  by  Elizabeth,  wild  with  delight 
over  getting  home  again.  She  begged  Mrs.  Hollister  very 
charmingly  and  sincerely  to  take  care  of  Elizabeth  for  three 
or  four  weeks,  while  she  and  her  husband  were  away,  and  to 
take  her  entire  family  down  to  the  shore  and  occupy  their 
22* 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

cottage,  which  had  been  closed  all  summer  and  needed  open- 
ing and  airing.  She  said  that  nothing  would  please  Eliza- 
beth so  much  as  to  have  them  all  her  guests  during  September. 
The  maids  were  there,  with  nothing  to  do  but  look  after 
them,  and  would  just  love  to  serve  them;  it  really  would  be 
a  great  favor  to  her  if  she  could  know  that  Elizabeth  was 
getting  a  little  salt  air  under  such  favorable  conditions.  She 
was  so  genuine  in  her  request  and  suggested  so  earnestly  that 
Shirley  and  George  needed  the  change  during  their  vacation, 
and  could  just  as  well  come  down  every  night  and  go  up 
every  morning  for  a  week  or  two  more  after  the  vacations 
were  over,  that  Mrs.  Hollister  actually  promised  to  consider 
it  and  talk  it  over  with  Shirley  when  she  came  home.  Eliza 
beth  and  Carol  nearly  went  into  spasms  of  joy  over  the 
thought  of  all  they  could  do  down  at  the  shore  together. 

When  Shirley  came  home  she  found  the  whole  family 
quite  upset  discussing  the  matter.  Carol  had  brought  out 
all  the  family  wardrobe  and  was  showing  how  she  could  wash 
this,  and  dye  that,  and  turn  this  skirt  upside  down,  and  put 
a  piece  from  the  old  waist  in  there  to  make  the  lower  part 
flare;  and  Harley  was  telling  how  he  could  get  the  man 
next  door  to  look  after  the  hens  and  pigeons,  and  there  was 
nothing  needing  much  attention  in  the  garden  now,  for  the 
corn  was  about  over  except  the  last  picking,  which  wasn't 
ripe  yet. 

Mrs.  Hollister  was  saying  that  they  ought  really  to  stay 
at  home  and  look  up  another  place  to  live  during  the  winter, 
and  Carol  ^vas  pleading  that  another  place  would  be  easier 
found  when  the  weather  was  cooler  anyway,  and  that  Shirley 
was  just  awfully  tired  and  needed  a  change. 

Shirley's  cheeks  grew  Dink  in  spite  of  the  headache  whict 


£24  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

she  had  been  fighting  all  day,  when  she  heard  of  the  invita- 
tion, and  sat  down  to  think  it  out.  Was  this,  then,  another 
of  the  kind  schemes  of  her  kind  friend  to  make  the  way  easier 
for  her?  What  right  had  she  to  take  all  this?  Why  was  he 
doing  it?  Why  were  the  rest  of  the  family?  Did  they 
really  need  some  one  to  take  care  of  Elizabeth?  But  of 
course  it  was  a  wonderful  opportunity,  and  one  that  her 
mother  at  least  should  not  let  slip  by.  And  Doris!  Think 
of  Doris  playing  in  the  sand  at  the  seaside ! 

Supper  was  flung  onto  the  table  that  night  any  way  it 
happened,  for  they  were  all  too  excited  to  know  what  they 
were  about.  Carol  got  butter  twice  and  forgot  to  cut  the 
bread,  and  Harley  poured  milk  into  the  already  filled  water- 
pitcher.  They  were  even  too  excited  to  eat. 

Graham  arrived  with  Elizabeth  early  in  the  evening  to 
add  his  pleading  to  his  mother's,  and  before  he  left  he  had 
about  succeeded  in  getting  Mrs.  Hollister's  promise  that  she 
would  go. 

Shirley's  vacation  began  the  first  of  September,  and 
George  had  asked  for  his  at  the  same  time  so  that  they 
could  enjoy  it  together.  Each  had  two  weeks.  Graham  said 
that  the  cost  of  going  back  and  forth  to  the  city  for  the  two 
would  be  very  little.  By  the  next  morning  they  had  begun 
to  say  what  they  would  take  along,  and  to  plan  what  they 
would  do  with  the  dog.  It  was  very  exciting.  There  was  only 
a  week  to  get  ready,  and  Carol  wanted  to  make  bathing-suits 
for  everybody. 

Graham  came  again  that  night  with  more  suggestions. 
There  were  plenty  of  bathing-suits  down  at  the  cottage,  of 
all  sizes  and  kinds.  No  need  to  make  bathing-suits.  The 
dog,  of  course,  was  to  go  along.  He  needed  the  change  as 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  223 

much  as  anybody,  and  they  needed  him  there.  That  breed  oi 
dog  was  a  great  swimmer.  He  would  take  care  of  the  children 
when  they  went  in  bathing.  How  would  Mrs.  Hollister  like 
to  have  one  of  the  old  Graham  servants  come  over  to  sleep 
at  the  barn  and  look  after  things  while  they  were  gone  ?  The 
man  had  really  nothing  to  do  at  home  while  everybody  was 
away,  as  the  whole  corps  of  servants  would  be  there,  and  this 
one  would  enjoy  coming  out  to  the  country.  He  had  a  brother 
living  on  a  place  about  a  mile  away.  As  for  the  trip  down 
there,  Graham  would  love  to  take  them  all  in  the  big  touring- 
car  with  Elizabeth.  He  had  been  intending  to  take  her  down 
that  way,  and  there  was  no  reason  in  the  world  why  they 
should  not  all  go  along.  Th^y  would  star*.  Saturday  after- 
noon as  soon  as  Shirley  and  George  were  free,  and  be  down 
before  bedtime.  It  would  be  cool  and  delightful  journeying 
at  that  hour,  and  a  great  deal  pleasanter  than  the  train. 

So  one  by  one  the  obstructions  and  hindrances  were 
removed  .from  their  path,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  Hoi- 
listers  were  to  go  to  the  seashore. 

At  last  the  day  came. 

Shirley  and  George  went  off  in  the  morning  shouting 
last  directions  about  things.  They  were  always  having  to 
go  to  their  work  whatever  was  happening.  It  was  sometimes 
hard  on  them,  particularly  this  day  when  everything  was  so 
delightfully  exciting. 

The  old  Graham  servant  arrived  about  three  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  and  proved  himself  invaluable  in  doing  the 
little  last  things  without  being  told.  Mrs.  Hollister  had  her 
first  gleam  of  an  idea  of  what  it  must  be  to  have  plenty  of 
perfectly  trained  servants  about  to  anticipate  one's  needs. 
He  enterpd  the  barn  as  if  barns  were  his  native  heath,  and 
15 


226  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

moved  about  with  the  ease  and  unobtrusiveness  that  marks 
a  perfect  servant,  but  with  none  of  the  hauteur  and  disdain 
that  many  of  those  individuals  entertain  toward  all  whom 
they  consider  poor  or  beneath  them  in  any  way.  He  had  a 
kindly  face,  and  seemed  to  understand  just  exactly  what  was 
to  be  done.  Things  somehow  moved  more  smoothly  after  he 
arrived. 

At  four  o'clock  came  Graham  with  the  car  and  a  load  of 
long  linen  dust-cloaks  and  veils.  The  Hollisters  donned  them 
and  bestowed  themselves  where  they  were  told.  The  servant 
stowed  away  the  wraps  and  suitcases;  Star  mounted  the  seat 
beside  Harley,  ^nd  they  were  ready. 

They  turned  to  look  back  at  the  barn  as  the  car  started. 
The  old  servant  was  having  a  little  trouble  with  the  big  door, 
trying  to  shut  it.  "  That  door  is  a  nuisance/'  said  Graham 
as  they  swept  away  from  the  curb.  "  It  must  be  fixed.  It  ia 
no  fit  door  for  a  barn  anyway."  Then  they  curved  up  around 
Allister  Avenue  and  left  the  barn  far  out  of  sight. 

They  were  going  across  country  to  the  Graham  home  to 
pick  up  Elizabeth.  It  was  a  wonderful  experience  for  them, 
that  beautiful  ride  in  the  late  afternoon ;  and  when  they  swept 
into  the  great  gates,  and  up  the  broad  drive  to  the  Graham 
mansion,  and  stopped  under  the  porte-cochere,  Mrs.  Hollister 
was  quite  overcome  with  the  idea  of  being  beholden  to  people 
who  lived  in  such  grandeur  as  this.  To  think  she  had 
actually  invited  their  son  to  dine  in  a  barn  with  her! 

Elizabeth  came  rushing  out  eagerly,  all  ready  to  start,  and 
climbed  in  beside  Carol.  Even  George,  who  was  usually 
silent  when  she  was  about,  gave  her  a  grin  of  welcome.  The 
father  and  mother  came  out  to  say  good-by,  gave  them  good 
wishes,  and  declared  they  were  perfectly  happy  to  leave  their 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  227 

daughter  in  such  good  hands.  Then  the  car  curved  about 
the  great  house,  among  tennis  courts,  green-houses,  garage, 
stable,  and  what  not,  and  back  to  the  pike  again,  leaping  out 
upon  the  perfect  road  as  if  it  were  as  excited  as  the  children. 

Two  more  stops  to  pick  up  George,  who  was  getting  off 
early,  and  Shirley,  who  was  through  at  five  o'clock,  and  then 
they  threaded  their  way  out  of  the  city,  across  the  ferry, 
through  another  city,  and  out  into  the  open  country,  dotted 
all  along  the  way  with  clean,  pretty  little  towns. 

They  reached  a  lovely  grove  at  sundown  and  stopped  by 
the  way  to  have  supper.  Graham  got  down  and  made  George 
help  him  get  out  the  big  hamper. 

There  was  a  most  delectable  lunch;  sandwiches  of  delicate 
and  unknown  condiments,  salad  as  bewildering,  soup  that  had 
been  kept  hot  in  a  thermos  bottle,  served  in  tiny  white  cups, 
iced  tea  and  ice-cream  meringues  from  another  thermos  com- 
partment, and  plenty  of  delicious  little  cakes,  olives,  nuts, 
bonbons,  and  fruit.  It  seemed  a  wonderful  supper  to  them 
all,  eaten  out  there  under  the  trees,  with  the  birds  beginning 
their  vesper  songs  and  the  stars  peeping  out  slyly.  Then 
they  packed  up  their  dishes  and  hurried  on  their  beautiful 
way,  a  silver  thread  of  a  moon  coming  out  to  make  the  scene 
more  lovely. 

Doris  was  almost  asleep  when  at  last  they  began  to  hear 
the  booming  of  the  sea  and  smell  the  salt  breezo  as  it  swept 
back  inland ;  but  she  roused  up  and  opened  wide,  mysterious 
eyes,  peering  into  the  new  darkness,  and  murmuring  softly: 
"  I  yant  to  see  ze  osun !  I  yant  to  see  the  gate  bid  watter ! " 

Stiff,  bewildered,  filled  with  ecstasy,  they  finally  unloaded 
in  front  of  a  big  white  building  that  looked  like  a  hotel. 
They  tried  to  see  into  the  deep,  mysterious  darkness  across  the 


228  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

road,  where  boomed  a  great  voice  that  called  them,  and  where 
dashing  spray  loomed  high  like  a  waving  phantom  hand  to 
beckon  them  now  and  again,  and  far-moving  lights  told  of 
ships  and  a  world  beyond  the  one  they  knew, — a  wide,  limit- 
less thing  like  eternity,  universe,  chaos. 

With  half -reluctant  feet  they  turned  away  from  the  mys« 
terious  unseen  lure  and  let  themselves  be  led  across  an  un- 
believably wide  veranda  into  the  bright  light  of  a  hall,  where 
everything  was  clean  and  shining,  and  a  great  fireplace  filled 
with  friendly  flames  gave  cheer  and  welcome.  The  children 
stood  bewildered  in  the  brightness  while  two  strange  serving- 
maids  unfastened  their  wraps  and  dust-cloaks  and  helped  them 
take  off  their  hats.  Then  they  all  sat  around  the  fire,  for 
Graham  had  come  in  by  this  time,  and  the  maids  brought 
trays  of  some  delicious  drink  with  little  cakes  and  crackers, 
and  tinkling  ice,  and  straws  to  drink  with.  Doris  almost  fell 
asleep  again,  and  was  carried  up-stairs  by  Shirley  and  put  to 
bed  in  a  pretty  white  crib  she  was  too  sleepy  to  look  at,  while 
Carol,  Elizabeth,  George,  and  Harley  went  with  Graham  across 
the  road  to  look  at  the  black,  yawning  cavern  they  called 
ocean,  and  to  have  the  shore  light-houses  pointed  out  to  them 
and  named  one  by  one. 

They  were  all  asleep  at  last,  a  little  before  midnight,  in 
spite  of  the  excitement  over  the  spacious  rooms,  and  who 
should  have  which.  Think  of  it !  Thirty  rooms  in  the  house, 
and  every  one  as  pretty  as  every  other  one!  What  luxury! 
And  nobody  to  occupy  them  but  themselves!  Carol  could 
hardly  get  to  sleep.  She  felt  as  if  she  had  dropped  into  a 
novel  and  was  living  it. 

When  Graham  came  out  of  his  room  the  next  morning 
the  salt  breeze  swept  invitingly  through  the  hall  and  showed 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

him  the  big  front  door  of  the  upper  piazza  open  and  some  one 
standing  in  the  sunlight,  with  light,  glowing  garments,  gazing 
at  the  sea  in  rapt  enjoyment.  Coming  out  softly,  he  saw  that 
it  was  Shirley  dressed  in  white,  with  a  ribbon  of  blue  at  her 
waist  and  a  soft  pink  color  in  her  cheeks,  looking  off  to  sea, 

He  stood  for  a  moment  to  enjoy  the  picture,  and  said  in 
his  heart  that  sometime,  if  he  got  his  wish,  he  would  have  her 
painted  so  by  some  great  artist,  with  just  that  little  simple 
white  dress  and  blue  ribbon,  her  round  white  arm  lifted,  her 
small  hand  shading  her  eyes,  the  sunlight  burnishing  her 
brown  hair  into  gold.  He  could  scarcely  refrain  from  going 
to  her  and  telling  her  how  beautiful  she  was.  But  when  he 
stepped  quietly  up  beside  her  only  his  eyes  spoke,  and  brought 
the  color  deeper  into  her  cheeks;  and  so  they  stood  for  some 
minutes,  looking  together  and  drawing  in  the  wonder  of 
God's  sea. 

"  This  is  the  first  time  I've  ever  seen  it,  you  know/'  spoke 
Shirley  at  last,  "  and  I'm  so  glad  it  was  on  Sunday  morning. 
It  will  always  make  the  day  seem  more  holy  and  the  sea  more 
wonderful  to  think  about.  I  like  best  things  to  happen  on 
Sunday,  don't  you,  because  that  is  the  best  day  of  all  ?  " 

Graham  looked  at  the  sparkling  sea  all  azure  and  pearls, 
realized  the  Sabbath  quiet,  and  marvelled  at  the  beauty  of 
the  soul  of  the  girl,  even  as  her  feeling  about  it  all  seemed  to 
snter  into  and  become  a  part  of  himself. 

"  Yes,  I  do/'  said  he.  "  I  never  did  before,  but  I  do  now, — 
and  always  shall/'  he  added  under  his  breath. 

That  was  almost  as  wonderful  a  Sabbath  as  the  one  they 
had  spent  in  the  woods  a  couple  of  weeks  before.  They 
walked  and  talked  by  the  sea,  and  they  went  to  a  little  Epis- 
copal chapel,  where  the  windows  stood  open  for  the  chanting 


230  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

of  the  waves  and  the  salt  of  the  breeze  to  come  in  freely,  and 
then  they  went  out  and  walked  by  the  sea  again.  Wherever 
they  went,  whether  resting  in  some  of  the  many  big  rockers 
on  the  broad  verandas  or  walking  on  the  hard  smooth  sand* 
or  sitting  in  some  cozy  nook  by  the  waves,  they  felt  the  same 
deep  sympathy,  the  same  conviction  that  their  thoughts  were 
one,  the  same  wonderful  thrill  of  the  day  and  each  other's 
nearness. 

Somehow  in  the  new  environment  Shirley  forgot  for  a 
little  that  this  young  man  was  not  of  her  world,  that  he  was 
probably  going  back  soon  to  the  city  to  enter  into  a  whirl  of 
the  winter's  season  in  society,  that  other  girls  would  claim  hia 
smiles  and  attentions,  and  she  would  likely  be  forgotten.  She 
lost  the  sense  of  it  entirely  and  companioned  with  him  as  joy- 
ously as  if  there  had  never  been  anything  to  separate  them. 
Her  mother,  looking  on,  sighed,  feared,  smiled,  and  sighed  again, 

They  walked  together  in  the  sweet  darkness  beside  the 
waves  that  evening,  and  he  told  her  how  when  he  was  a  little 
boy  he  wanted  to  climb  up  to  the  stars  and  find  God,  but  later 
how  he  thought  the  stars  and  God  were  myths  like  Santa 
Glaus,  and  that  the  stars  were  only  electric  lights  put  up  by 
men  and  lighted  from  a  great  switch  every  night,  and  when 
they  didn't  shine  somebody  had  forgotten  to  light  them.  He 
told  her  many  things  about  himself  that  he  nad  never  told  to 
*ny  one  before,  and  she  opened  her  shy  heart  to  him,  too. 

Then  they  planned  what  they  would  do  next  week  when 
he  came  back.  He  told  her  he  must  go  back  to  the  city  in 
the  morning  to  see  his  father  and  mother  off  and  attend  to  a 
few  matters  of  business  at  the  office.  It  might  be  two  or  three 
days  before  he  could  return,  but  after  that  he  was  coming 
down  to  take  a  little  vacation  himself  if  she  didn't  mind. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  231 

and  they  would  do  a  lot  of  delightful  things  together:  row, 
fish,  go  crabbing,  and  he  would  teach  her  to  swim  and  show 
her  all  the  walks  and  favorite  places  where  he  used  to  go  as  a 
boy.  Eeluctantly  they  went  in,  his  fingers  lingering  about 
hers  for  just  a  second  at  the  door,  vibrating  those  mysterious 
heart-strings  of  hers  again,  sweeping  dearest  music  from 
them,  and  frightening  her  with  joy  that  took  her  half  the 
night  to  put  down. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

SIDNEY  GRAHAM  went  back  to  the  city  the  next  morning. 
They  all  stood  out  on  the  piazza  to  watch  the  big  car  glide 
away.  Doris  stood  on  the  railing  of  the  piazza  with  Shirley's 
arm  securely  about  her  and  waved  a  little  fat  hand;  then 
with  a  pucker  of  her  lip  she  demanded: 

"Fy  does  mine  Mister  Dwaham  do  way?  I  don't  yanl 
him  to  do  way.  I  yant  him  to  stay  wif  me  aw-ways,  don't 
oo,  Sirley?" 

Shirley  with  glowing  cheeks  turned  from  watching  the 
retreating  car  and  put  her  little  sister  down  on  the  floor 
suddenly. 

"  Run  get  your  hat,  Doris,  and  we'll  take  a  walk  on  the 
eand ! "  she  said,  smiling  alluringly  at  the  child,  till  the 
baby  forgot  her  grievance  and  beamed  out  with  answering 
emiles. 

That  was  a  wonderful  day. 

They  all  took  a  walk  on  the  sand  first,  George  pushing  his 
mother  in  a  big  wheeled  chair  belonging  to  the  cottage. 
Elizabeth  was  guide  and  pointed  out  all  the  beauties  of  the 
place,  telling  eager  bits  of  reminiscence  from  her  childhood 
memories  to  which  even  George  listened  attentively.  From 
having  been  only  tolerant  of  her  George  had  now  come  to 
look  upon  Elizabeth  as  "a  good  scout." 

When  Mrs.  Hollister  grew  tired  they  took  her  back  to 
the  cottage  and  established  her  in  a  big  chair  with  p  hook. 
Then  they  all  rushed  off  to  the  bath-houses  and  presently 
232 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  233 

emerged  in  bathing-suits,  Doris  looking  like  a  little  sprite  in 
her  scarlet  flannel  scrap  of  a  suit,  her  bright  hair  streaming, 
and  her  beautiful  baby  arms  and  legs  flashing  i^ite  like  a 
cherub's  in  the  sunlight. 

They  came  back  from  their  dip  in  the  wave,.,  hungry  and 
eager,  to  the  wonderful  dinner  that  was  served  so  exquisitely 
in  the  great  cool  dining-room,  from  the  windows  of  which 
they  could  watch  the  lazy  ships  sailing  in  the  offing. 

Doris  fell  asleep  over  her  dessert  and  was  tumbled  into 
the  hammock  to  finish  her  nap.  Carol  and  Elizabeth  and  the 
boys  started  off  crabbing,  and  Shirley  settled  herself  in  another 
hammock  with  a  pile  of  rew  magazines  about  her  and  pre- 
pared to  enjoy  a  whole  afternoon  of  laziness.  It  was  BO 
wonderful  to  lie  still,  at  leisure  and  unhurried,  with  all  those 
lovely  magazines  to  read,  and  nothing  to  disturb  her.  She 
leaned  her  head  back  and  closed  her  eyes  for  a  minute  just  to 
listen  to  the  sea,  and  realize  how  good  it  was  to  be  here. 
Back  in  her  mind  there  was  a  pleasant  consciousness  of  the 
beautiful  yesterday,  and  the  beautiful  to-morrows  that  might 
come  when  Sidney  Graham  returned,  but  she  would  not  let 
her  heart  dwell  upon  them;  that  would  be  humoring  herself 
too  much,  and  perhaps  give  her  a  false  idea  of  things.  She 
simply  would  not  let  this  wonderful  holiday  be  spoiled  by  the 
thought  that  it  would  have  to  end  some  day  and  that  she 
would  be  back  at  the  old  routine  of  care  and  worry  once  more. 

She  was  roused  from  her  reverie  by  the  step  of  the  post- 
man bringing  a  single  letter,  for  her ! 

It  was  addressed  in  an  unknown  hand  and  was  in  a  fat 
long  envelope.  Wonderingly  she  opened  it  and  found  inside 
a  bank  book  and  blank  check  book  with  a  little  note  on  whicb 
was  written: 


234  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

DEAB  LITTLE  GIBL: 

This  is  just  a  trifle  of  that  present  we  were  talking  about  the 
other  day  that  belongs  to  you.  It  isn't  all  by  any  means,  but  we'll 
pee  to  the  rest  later.  Spend  this  on  chocolates  or  chewing-gum  or 
frills  or  whatever  you  like  and  have  a  good  time  down  at  the  shore. 
You're  a  bully  little  girl  and  deserve  everything  nice  that's  going. 
Don't  be  too  serious,  Miss  Shirley.  Play  a  little  more. 
Your  elderly  friend, 

WALTER  K.  GRAHAM. 

In  the  bank  book  was  an  entry  of  five  thousand  dollars, 
on  check  account.  Shirley  held  her  breath  and  stared  at  the 
figures  with  wide  eyes,  then  slipped  away  and  locked  herself 
in  the  big  white  room  that  was  hers.  Kneeling  down  by  the 
bed  she  cried  and  prayed  and  smiled  all  in  one,  and  thanked 
the  Lord  for  making  people  so  kind  to  her.  After  that  she 
went  to  find  her  mother. 

Mrs.  Hollister  was  sitting  on  the  wide  upper  piazza  in  a 
steamer  chair  looking  off  to  sea  and  drawing  in  new  life  at 
every  breath.  Her  book  was  open  on  her  lap,  but  she  had 
forgotten  to  read  in  the  joy  of  all  that  was  about  her.  To 
tell  the  truth  she  was  wondering  if  the  dear  father  who  was 
gone  from  them  knew  of  their  happy  estate,  and  thinking 
how  glad  he  would  be  for  them  if  he  did. 

She  read  the  letter  twice  before  she  looked  at  the  bank 
book  with  its  astonishing  figures,  and  heard  again  Shirley's 
tale  of  the  happening  in  the  office  the  morning  of  the  arrest. 
Then  she  read  the  letter  once  more. 

"  I'm  not  just  sure,  daughter/'  she  said  at  last  with  a 
smile,  "  what  we  ought  to  do  about  this.  Are  you? " 

"  No,"  said  Shirley,  smiling ;  "  I  suppose  I'll  give  it  beck, 
/but  wasn't  it  wonderful  of  him  to  do  it?  Isn't  it  grand  that 
there  are  such  men  in  the  world  ? ?* 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  235 

"It  certainly  is,  dear,  and  I'm  glad  my  little  girl  was 
able  to  do  something  that  was  of  assistance  to  him ;  and  that 
she  has  won  her  way  into  his  good  graces  so  simply  and 
sweetly.  But  Fm  not  so  sure  what  you  ought  to  do.  Hadn't 
we  better  pray  about  it  a  bit  before  you  decide?  How  soon 
ought  you  to  write  to  him  ?  It's  too  late  to  reach  him  before 
he  leaves  for  California,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"Oh,  yes,  he's  just  about  starting  now,"  said  the  girl. 
*e  Don't  you  suppose  he  planned  it  so  that  I  couldn't  answer 
right  away?  I  don't  know  his  address.  I  can't  do  a  thing 
till  I  find  out  where  to  write.  I  wouldn't  like  to  send  it  to 
the  office  because  they  would  probably  think  it  was  business 
and  his  secretary  might  open  it." 

"  Of  course.  Then  we'll  just  pray  about  it,  shall  we,  dear  ? 
I'm  not  just  sure  in  my  mind  whether  it's  a  well-meant  bit 
of  charity  that  we  ought  to  hand  back  with  sincere  thanks, 
or  whether  it's  God's  way  of  rewarding  my  little  girl  for  her 
faithfulness  and  quickness  of  action.  Our  Father  knows  we 
have  been — and  still  are — in  a  hard  place.  He  knows  that 
we  have  need  of  'all  these  things'  that  money  has  to  buy. 
You  really  did  a  good  thing  and  saved  Mr.  Graham  from 
great  loss,  you  know,  and  perhaps  he  is  the  kind  of  man  who 
would  feel  a  great  deal  happier  if  he  shared  a  little  of  it 
with  you,  was  able  to  make  some  return  for  what  you  did 
for  him.  However,  five  thousand  dollars  is  a  great  deal  of 
money  for  a  brief  service.  What  do  you  think,  dear?" 

"  I  don't  know,  mother  dear.  I'm  all  muddled  just  as 
you  say,  but  I  guess  it  will  come  right  if  we  pray  about  it. 
Anyhow,  I'm  going  to  be  happy  over  his  thinking  of  me, 
whether  I  keep  it  or  not." 

Shirley  went  thoughtfully  back  to  her  hammock  and  her 


336  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

magazines,  a  smile  on  her  lips,  a  dream  in  her  eyes.  She 
found  herself  wondering  whether  Sidney  Graham  knew  about 
this  money  and  what  he  would  wish  her  to  do  about  it.  Then 
suddenly  she  cast  the  whole  question  from  her  and  plunged 
into  her  magazine,  wondering  why  it  was  that  almost  any 
question  that  came  into  her  mind  promptly  got  around  and 
entangled  itself  with  Mr.  Sidney  Graham.  What  did  he 
have  to  do  with  it,  anyway? 

The  magazine  story  was  very  interesting  and  Shirley  soon 
forgot  everything  else  in  the  pleasure  of  surrendering  herself 
io  the  printed  page.  An  hour  went  by,  another  passed,  and 
Shirley  was  still  oblivious  to  all  about  her.  Suddenly  she 
became  aware  of  a  boy  on  a  bicycle,  riding  almost  up  to  the 
very  steps,  and  whistling  vigorously. 

"  Miss  Shirley  Hollister  here  ?"  he  demanded  as  he  alighted 
on  one  foot  on  the  lower  step,  the  other  foot  poised  for  flight 
as  soon  as  his  errand  should  have  been  performed. 

"  Why,  yes/'  said  Shirley,  startled,  struggling  to  her  feet 
and  letting  a  shower  of  magazines  fall  all  about  her. 

"  Long  distance  wants  yer,"  he  announced,  looking  her  over 
aj^athetically.  "  Mr.  Barnard,  of  Philadelphia,  wants  to  talk 
to  yer ! "  and  with  the  final  word  chanted  nasally  he  alighted 
upon  his  obedient  steed  and  spun  away  down  the  walk  again. 

"But,  wait!    Where  shall  I  go?    Where  is  the  telephone  ?" 

€<  Pay  station !  "  shouted  the  impervious  child,  turning  his 
head  over  his  shoulder,  "  Drug  store !  Two  blocks  from  the 
post  office!" 

Without  waiting  to  go  upstairs  Shirley,  whose  trailing 
had  been  to  answer  the  telephone  at  once,  caught  up  Eliza- 
beth's parasol  that  lay  on  a  settee  by  the  door,  rumpled  her 
fingers  through  her  hair  by  way  of  toilet  and  hurried  down 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  237 

the  steps  in  the  direction  the  boy  had  disappeared,  wonder- 
ing what  in  the  world  Mr.  Barnard  could  want  of  her  ?  Was 
he  going  to  call  her  back  from  her  vacation  ?  Was  this  per- 
haps the  only  day  she  would  have,  this  and  yesterday  ?  There 
would  always  be  yesterday!  With  a  sigh  she  looked  wist- 
fully at  the  sea.  If  she  had  only  known  a  summons  was  to 
come  so  soon  she  would  not  have  wasted  a  second  on  maga- 
zines. She  would  have  sat  and  gazed  all  the  afternoon  at 
the  sea.  If  Mr.  Barnard  wanted  her,  of  course  she  would 
have  to  go.  Business  was  business  and  she  couldn't  afford 
to  lose  her  job  even  with  that  fairy  dream  of  five  thousand 
to  her  credit  in  the  bank.  She  knew,  of  course,  she  meant  to 
give  that  back.  It  was  hers  for  the  day,  but  it  could  not 
become  tangible.  It  was  beautiful,  but  it  was  right  that  it 
must  go  back,  and  if  her  employer  felt  he  must  cut  short  her 
vacation  why  of  course  she  must  acquiesce  and  just  be  glad 
she  had  had  this  much.  Perhaps  it  was  just  as  well,  any- 
way, for  if  Sidney  Graham  came  down  and  spent  a  few  days 
there  was  no  knowing  what  foolish  notions  her  heart  would 
take,  jumping  and  careening  the  way  it  had  been  doing  lately 
when  he  just  looked  at  her.  Yes,  she  would  go  back  if 
Mr.  Barnard  wanted  her.  It  was  the  best  thing  she  could  do. 
Though  perhaps  he  would  only  be  calling  her  to  ask  where 
she  had  left  something  for  which  they  were  searching.  That 
stupid  Ashton  girl  who  took  her  place  might  not  have 
remembered  all  her  directions. 

Breathless,  with  possibilities  crowding  upon  her  mind, 
she  hurried  into  the  drug  store  and  sought  the  telephone 
booth.  It  seemed  ages  before  the  connection  was  made  and 
she  heard  Mr.  Barnard's  dry  familiar  tones  over  the  phone: 

"  That  you,  Miss  Hollister?     This  is  Mr.  Barnard.     I'm 


238  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

sorry  to  disturb  you  right  in  the  midst  of  your  holiday,  but  a 
matter  has  come  up  that  is  rather  serious  and  I'm  wondering 
if  you  could  help  us  out  for  a  day  or  two.  If  you  would  we'd 
be  glad  to  give  you  fifty  dollars  for  the  extra  time,  and  let 
you  extend  your  vacation  to  a  month  instead  of  two  weeks. 
Do  you  think  you  could  spare  a  day  or  two  to  help  us  right 
away?" 

"  Oh !  Why,  yes,  of  course ! "  faltered  Shirley,  her  eyes 
dancing  at  the  thought  of  the  extra  vacation  and  money. 

"  Thank  you !  "  I  was  sure  you  would,"  said  Mr.  Barnard, 
with  relief  in  his  voice.  You  see  we  have  got  that  Govern- 
ment contract.  The  news  just  came  in  the  afternoon  mail. 
It's  rather  particular  business  because  it  has  to  do  with 
matters  that  the  Government  wishes  to  keep  secret.  I  am 
to  go  down  to-morrow  morning  to  Washington  to  receive  in- 
structions, and  I  have  permission  to  bring  a  trusted  private 
secretary  with  me.  Now  you  know,  of  course,  that  I  couldn't 
take  Miss  Ashton.  She  wouldn't  be  able  to  do  what  I  want 
done  even  if  she  were  one  I  could  trust  not  to  say  a  word 
about  the  matter.  I  would  take  Jim  Thorpe,  but  his  father 
has  just  died  and  I  can't  very  well  ask  him  to  leave.  Neither 
can  I  delay  longer  than  to-morrow.  Now  the  question  is, 
would  you  be  willing  to  go  to  Washington  in  the  morning? 
I  have  looked  up  the  trains  and  I  find  you  can  leave  the 
shore  at  8.10  and  meet  me  in  Baltimore  at  ten  o'clock.  I  will 
be  waiting  for  you  at  the  train  gate,  but  in  case  we  miss  each 
other  wait  in  the  station,  close  to  the  telephone  booths,  till 
I  find  you.  We  will  take  the  next  train  for  Washington  and 
be  there  a  little  before  noon.  If  all  goes  well  we  ought  to 
be  through  our  business  in  plenty  of  time  to  make  a  four 
o'clock  train  home.  Of  course  there  may  be  delays,  and  it  i* 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  239 

quite  possible  you  might  have  to  remain  in  Washington  over 
night,  though  I  hardly  think  so.  But  in  case  you  do  I  will 
see  that  you  are  safe  and  comfortable  in  a  quiet  hotel  neai- 
the  station  where  my  wife's  sister  is  staying  this  summer. 

Of  course  your  expenses  will  all  be  paid.  I  will  telegraph 
and  have  a  mileage  book  put  at  your  disposal  that  you  can 
call  for  right  there  in  your  station  in  the  morning.  Are  you 
willing  to  undertake  this  for  us?  I  assure  you  we  shall  not 
forget  the  service." 

When  Shirley  finally  hung  up  the  receiver  and  looked 
about  the  little  country  drug  store  in  wonder  at  herself  the 
very  bottles  on  the  shelves  seemed  to  be  whirling  and  dancing 
about  before  her  eyes.  What  strange  exciting  things  were 
happening  to  her  all  in  such  breathless  haste !  Only  one  day 
at  the  shore  and  a  piece  of  another,  and  here  she  was  with  a 
trip  to  Washington  on  her  hands !  It  certainly  was  bewilder- 
ing to  have  things  come  in  such  rapid  succession.  She  wished 
it  had  come  at  another  time,  and  not  just  now  when  she 
had  not  yet  got  used  to  the  great  sea  and  the  wonder  of  the 
beautiful  place  where  they  were  staying.  She  did  not  want  to 
be  interrupted  just  yet.  It  would  not  be  quite  the  same  when 
she  got  back  to  it  she  was  afraid.  But  of  course  she  could 
not  refuse.  It  never  entered  her  head  to  refuse.  She  knew 
enough  about  the  office  to  realize  that  Mr.  Barnard  must  have 
her.  Jimmie  Thorpe  would  have  been  the  one  to  go  if  he  were 
available,  because  he  was  a  man  and  had  been  with  Barnard 
and  Clegg  for  ten  years  and  knew  all  their  most  confidential 
business,  but  of  course  Jimmie  could  not  go  with  his  father 
lying  dead  and  his  mother  and  invalid  sister  needing  him ;  and 
there  was  no  one  else  but  herself. 

She  thought  it  all  out  on  the  way  back  to  the  cottage^ 


240  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

with  a  little  pang  at  the  thought  of  losing  the  next  day  and 
of  having  perhaps  to  stay  over  in  Washington  a  day  and  maybe 
miss  the  arrival  of  Sidney  Graham,  if  he  should  come  in  a 
day  or  two,  as  he  had  promised.  He  might  even  come  and  go 
back  again  before  she  was  able  to  return,  and  perhaps  he 
would  think  her  ungrateful  to  leave  when  he  had  been  so  kind 
to  plan  all  this  lovely  vacation  for  her  pleasure.  Then  she 
brought  herself  up  smartly  and  told  herself  decidedly  that  it 
was  nothing  to  him  whether  she  was  there  or  not,  and  it 
certainly  had  no  right  to  be  anything  to  her.  It  was  a  good 
thing  she  was  going,  and  would  probably  be  a  good  thing  for 
all  concerned  if  she  stayed  until  he  went  back  to  the  city 
again. 

With  this  firm  determination  she  hurried  up  to  the  veranda 
where  her  mother  sat  with  Doris,  and  told  her  story. 

Mrs.  Hollister  looked  troubled. 

"I'm  sorry  you  gave  him  an  answer,  Shirley,  without 
waiting  to  talk  it  over  with  me.  I  don't  believe  I  like  the 
idea  of  your  going  to  a  strange  city,  all  alone  that  way.  Of 
course  Mr.  Barnard  will  look  after  you  in  a  way,  but  still  he's 
a  good  deal  of  a  stranger.  I  do  wish  he  had  let  you  alone 
for  your  vacation.  It  seems  as  if  he  might  have  found  some- 
body else  to  go.  I  wish  Mr.  Graham  was  here.  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  would  suggest  some  way  out  of  it  for  you." 

But  Shirley  stiffened  into  dignity  at  once. 

"Keally,  mother  dear,  I'm  sure  I  don't  see  what  Mr, 
Graham  would  have  to  say  about  it  if  he  were  here.  I 
shouldn't  ask  his  advice.  You  see,  mother,  realty,  there  isn't 
anybody  else  that  could  do  this  but  Jimmie  Thorpe,  and  he's 
out  of  the  question.  It  would  be  unthinkable  that  I  should 
refuse  in  this  emergency.  And  you  know  Mr.  Barnard  haft 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  241 

been  very  kind.  Besides,  think  of  the  ducky  vacation  I'll 
have  afterward,  a  whole  month !  And  all  that  extra  money ! 
That  shall  go  to  the  rent  of  a  bet  jer  house  for  winter !  Think 
of  it!  Don't  you  worry,  mother  dear!  There  isn't  a  thing 
in  the  world  could  happen  to  me.  I'll  be  the  very  most- 
discreetest  person  you  ever  heard  of.  Fll  even  glance  shyly 
at  the  White  House  and  Capitol !  Come,  lef  s  go  up  and  get 
dolled  up  for  supper !  Won't  the  children  be  surprised  when 
they  hear  I'm  really  to  go  to  Washington !  I'm  so  excited 
I  don't  know  what  to  do ! " 

Mrs.  Hollister  said  no  more,  and  entered  pleasantly  into 
the  merry  talk  at  the  table,  telling  Shirley  what  she  must  be 
sure  to  see  at  the  nation's  capital.  But  the  next  morning 
just  as  Shirley  was  about  to  leave  for  the  station,  escorted  by 
all  the  children,  Mrs.  Hollister  came  with  a  package  of 
addressed  postal  cards  which  she  had  made  George  get  for 
her  the  night  before,  and  put  them  in  Shirley's  bag. 

"Just  drop  us  a  line  as  you  go  along,  dear,"  she  said. 
"  I'll  feel  happier  about  it  to  be  hearing  from  you.  Mail  one 
whenever  you  have  a  chance." 

Shirley  laughed  as  she  looked  at  the  fat  package. 

"All  those,  mother  dear?  You  must  expect  I  am  going 
to  stay  a  month!  You  know  I  won't  have  much  time  for 
writing,  and  I  fully  expect  to  be  back  to-night  or  to-morrow 
at  the  latest." 

"Well,  that's  all  right,"  said  her  mother.  "You  can 
use  them  another  time,  then;  but  you  can  just  put  a  line  on 
one  whenever  it  is  convenient.  I  shall  enjoy  getting  them 
even  after  you  get  back.  You  know  this  is  your  first  journey 
out  into  the  world  alone." 

Shirley  stooped  to  kiss  the  little  mother, 
16 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"All  right,  dear !  I'll  write  you  a  serial  story.  Each  ona 
continued  in  our  next.  Good-by!  Don't  take  too  long  a 
walk  to-day.  I  want  you  rested  to  hear  all  I'll  have  to  tell 
when  I  get  back  to-night ! " 

Shirley  wrote  the  first  postal  card  as  soon  as  she  was 
settled  in  the  train,  describing  the  other  occupants  of  the  car, 
and  making  a  vivid  picture  of  the  landscape  that  was  slipping 
by  her  windows.  She  wrote  the  second  in  the  Baltimore 
station,  after  she  had  met  Mr.  Barnard,  while  he  went  to  get 
seats  in  the  parlor  car,  and  she  mailed  them  both  at  Baltimore. 

The  third  was  written  as  they  neared  Washington,  with 
the  dim  vision  of  the  great  monument  dawning  on  her  won- 
dering sight  in  the  distance.  Her  last  sentence  gave  her  first 
impression  of  the  nation's  capital. 

They  had  eaten  lunch  in  the  dining  car,  a  wonderful 
experience  to  the  girl,  and  she  promised  herself  another 
postal  devoted  to  that,  but  there  was  no  time  to  write  more 
after  they  reached  Washington.  She  was  put  into  a  taxi  and 
whirled  away  to  an  office  where  her  work  began.  She  caught 
glimpses  of  great  buildings  on  the  way,  and  gazed  with  awe 
at  the  dome  of  the  Capitol  building.  Mr.  Barnard  was  kind 
and  pointed  out  this  and  that,  but  it  was  plain  his  mind  was 
on  the  coming  interview.  When  Shirley  sat  at  last  in  a  quiet 
corner  of  a  big  dark  office,  her  pen  poised,  her  note-book 
ready  for  work,  and  looked  at  the  serious  faces  of  the  men  in 
the  room,  she  felt  as  if  she  had  been  rushed  through  a 
treasure  vault  of  glorious  jewels  and  thrust  into  the  darkness 
of  a  tomb.  But  presently  the  talk  about  her  interested  her. 
Things  were  being  said  about  the  vital  interests  of  the 
country,  scraps  of  sentences  that  reminded  her  of  ihe  trend 
*vf  talk  in  the  daily  papers,  and  the  headings  o*  front  columns. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  243 

[She  looked  about  her  with  interest  and  noted  the  familiarity 
with  which  these  men  quoted  the  words  of  those  high  up  in 
authority  in  the  government.  With  awe  she  began  her  work, 
taking  down  whatever  Mr.  Barnard  dictated,  her  fingers  fly- 
ing over  the  tiny  pages  of  the  note-book,  in  small  neat  char- 
acters, keeping  pace  with  the  voices  going  on  abeut  her.  The 
detail  work  she  was  setting  down  was  not  of  especial  interest 
to  her,  save  that  it  was  concerned  with  Government  work, 
for  its  phraseology  was  familiar  and  a  part  of  her  daily 
routine  office  work  at  home ;  but  she  set  every  sense  on  the  alert 
to  get  the  tiniest  detail  and  not  to  make  the  smallest  mistake, 
understanding  from  the  voices  of  the  men  about  her  that 
it  was  of  vital  interest  to  the  country  that  this  order  should 
be  filled  quickly  and  accurately.  As  she  capped  her  fountain 
pen,  and  slipped  the  rubber  band  on  her  note-book  when  it 
was  over,  she  heard  one  of  the  men  just  behind  her  say  in  a 
low  tone  to  Mr.  Barnard: 

"  You're  sure  of  your  secretary  of  course  ?  I  just  want  to 
give  you  the  tip  that  this  thing  is  being  very  closely  watched. 
We  have  reason  to  believe  there's  some  spying  planned.  Keep 
your  notes  carefully  and  don't  let  too  many  in  on  this.  We 
know  pretty  well  what's  going  on,  but  it's  not  desirable  just 
now  to  make  any  arrests  until  we  can  watch  a  little  longer 
and  round  up  the  whole  party.  So  keep  your  eyes  peeled,  and 
don't  talk." 

"  Oh,  certainly !  I  quite  understand/'  said  Mr.  Barnard, 
"  and  I  have  a  most  discreet  secretary,"  and  he  glanced  with 
a  significant  smile  toward  Shirley  as  she  rose. 

"  Of  course ! "  said  the  other.  "  She  looks  it,"  and  he 
bowed  deferentially  to  Shirley  as  she  passed. 

She  did  not  think  of  it  at  the  time,  but  afterwards  she 


«44  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

recalled  how  in  acknowledging  his  courtesy  she  had  stepped 
back  a  little  and  almost  stumbled  over  a  page,  a  boy  about 
George's  age,  who  had  been  standing  withdrawn  into  the 
shadow  of  the  deep  window.  She  remembered  he  had  a  keen 
intelligent  look,  and  had  apologized  and  vanished  immediately. 
A  moment  later  it  seemed  to  be  the  same  boy  in  blue  clothes 
and  gilt  buttons  who  held  the  outer  door  open  for  them  to 
pass  out — or  was  this  a  taller  one  ?  She  glanced  again  at  his 
side  face  with  a  lingering  thought  of  George  as  she  paused 
to  fasten  her  glove  and  slip  her  note-book  into  her  hand-bag. 

"  I  think  I  will  put  you  into  the  taxi  and  let  you  go  right 
back  to  the  station  while  I  attend  *o  another  errand  over  at 
the  War  Department.  It  won't  take  me  long.  We  can  easily 
catch  that  four-o'clock  train  back.  I  suppose  you  are  anxious 
to  get  back  to-night  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Shirley  earnestly,  "  I  must,  if  possible. 
Mother  isn't  well  and  she  worries  so  easily." 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  why  we  can't.  Then  perhaps  you  can 
come  up  to  town  to-morrow  and  type  those  notes  for  us.  By 
the  way,  I  guess  it  would  be  better  for  me  to  take  them 
and  lock  them  in  the  safe  to-night.  No,  don't  stop  to  get 
them  out  now" — as  Shirley  began  to  unfasten  her  bag  and 
get  the  note-book  out — "  We  haven't  much  time  if  we  want  to 
catch  that  train.  Just  look  after  them  carefully  and  I'll  get 
them  when  we  are  on  the  train." 

He  helped  her  into  the  taxi,  gave  the  order,  "  To  th* 
station,"  and  touching  his  hat,  went  rapidly  over  to  the  Wai 
Department  Building.  No  one  saw  a  boy  with  a  blue  cap  and 
brass  buttons  steal  forth  on  a  bicycle  from  the  court  just 
below  the  office,  and  circling  about  the  asphalt  uncertainly 
for  a  moment,  shoot  off  across  the  park. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  245 

Shirley  sat  up  very  straight  and  kept  her  eyes  about  her. 
She  was  glad  they  were  taking  another  way  to  the  station  so 
that  she  might  see  more.  When  she  got  there  she  would 
write  another  postal  and  perhaps  it  would  go  on  the  same 
train  with  her. 

It  was  all  too  short,  that  ride  up  Pennsylvania  Avenue  and 
around  by  the  Capitol.  Shirley  gathered  up  ^er  bag  and 
prepared  to  get  out  reluctantly.  She  wished  she  might  have 
just  one  more  hour  to  go  about,  but  of  course  that  would  be 
impossible  if  she  wished  to  reach  home  to-night. 

But  before  the  driver  of  the  car  could  get  down  and  open 
the  door  for  her  to  get  out  a  boy  with  a  bicycle  slid  up  to 
the  curb  and  touching  his  gilt-buttoned  cap  respectfully  said : 

"  Excuse  me,  Miss,  but  Mr.  Barnard  sent  me  after  you. 
He  says  there's  been  some  mistake  and  you'll  have  to  come 
back  and  get  it  corrected." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Shirley,  too  surprised  to  think  for  a  minute. 
"  Oh !  Then  please  hurry,  for  Mr.  Barnard  wants  to  get  back 
in  time  to  get  that  four-o'clock  train." 

The  driver  frowned,  but  the  boy  stepped  up  and  handed 
him  something,  saying: 

"That's  all  right,  Joe,  he  sent  you  this."  The  driver's 
face  cleared  and  he  started  his  machine  again.  The  boy 
vanished  into  the  throng.  It  was  another  of  Shirley's  after- 
memories  that  she  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  scrap  of  paper 
along  with  the  money  the  boy  had  handed  the  driver,  and 
that  he  had  stuffed  it  in  his  pocket  after  looking  intently  at 
it;  but  at  the  time  she  thought  nothing  of  it.  She  was  only 
glad  that  they  were  skimming  along  rapidly. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

SHIRLEY'S  sense  of  direction  had  always  been  keen.  Even 
as  a  child  she  could  tell  her  way  home  when  others  were  lost. 
It  was  some  minutes,  however,  before  she  suddenly  became 
aware  tha4-.  the  Car  was  being  driven  in  an  entirely  different 
direction  from  the  place  she  had  just  left  Mr.  Barnard.  For 
a  moment  she  looked  around  puzzled,  thinking  the  man  was 
merely  taking  another  way  around,  but  a  glance  back  where 
the  white  dome  of  the  Capitol  loomed,  palace-like,  above  the 
city,  made  her  sure  that  something  was  wrong.  She  looked 
j,t  the  buildings  they  were  passing,  at  the  names  of  the  streets — • 
F  Street — they  had  not  been  on  that  before!  These  stores 
tnd  tall  buildings  were  all  new  to  her  eyes.  Down  there  at 
the  end  of  the  vista  was  a  great  building  all  columns.  Was 
that  the  Treasury  and  were  they  merely  seeing  it  from 
another  angle?  It  was  all  very  confusing,  but  the  time  was 
short,  why  had  the  man  not  taken  the  shorter  way  ? 

She  looked  at  her  small  wrist  watch  anxiously  and  watched 
eagerly  for  the  end  of  the  street.  But  before  the  great  build- 
ing was  reached  the  car  suddenly  curved  around  a  corner  to 
the  right, — one  block, — a  turn  to  the  left, — another  turn, — 
a  confusion  of  new  names  and  streets !  New  York  Avenue  I 
Connecticut  Avenue!  Thomas  Circle!  The  names  spun  by 
BO  fast  she  could  read  but  few  of  them,  and  those  she  saw  she 
wanted  to  remember  that  she  might  weave  them  into  her  next 
postal.  She  opened  her  bag,  fumbJed  for  her  little  silver 
pencil  in  the  pocket  of  her  coat  and  scribbled  down  the  names 
«he  could  read  as  she  passed,  on  the  back  of  the  bundle  o" 
249 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

postal  cards,  and  without  looking  at  her  writing.  She  did 
not  wish  to  miss  a  single  sight.  Here  were  rows  of  homes, 
pleasant  and  palatial,  some  of  them  even  cozy  The  broad 
avenues  were  enchanting,  the  park  spaces,  the  lavish  scat- 
tering of  noble  statues.  But  the  time  was  hastening  by  and 
they  were  going  farther  and  farther  from  the  station  and 
from  the  direction  of  the  offices  where  she  had  been.  She 
twisted  her  neck  once  more  and  the  Capitol  dome  loomed  soft 
and  blended  in  the  distance.  A  thought  of  alarm  leaped  into 
her  mind.  She  baned  forward  and  spoke  to  the  driver: 

"  You  understood,  didn't  you,  that  I  am  to  return  to  the 
office  where  you  took  me  with  the  gentleman  ?  " 

The  man  nodded. 

"All  right,  lady.  Yes,  lady ! "  And  the  car  rushed  on, 
leaping  out  upon  the  beautiful  way  and  disclosing  new  beauties 
ahead.  For  a  few  minutes  more  Shirley  was  distracted  from 
her  anxiety  in  wondering  whether  the  great  buildings  on  her 
right  belonged  to  any  of  the  embassies  or  not.  And  then  as 
the  car  swerved  aiid  plunged  into  another  street  and  darted 
into  a  less  thickly  populated  district,  with  trees  and  vacant 
lots  almost  like  the  country,  alarm  arose  once  more  and  she 
looked  wildly  back  and  tried  to  see  the  sign*  but  they  were 
going  faster  still  now  upon  a  wide  empty  road  past  stretches 
of  park,  with  winding  drives  and  charming  views,  and  a  great 
stone  bridge  to  the  right,  arching  over  a  deep  ravine  below,  a 
railroad  crossing  it.  There  were  deer  parks  fenced  with  high 
wire,  and  filled  with  the  pretty  creatures.  Everything  went  by  so 
fast  that  Shirley  hardly  realized  that  something  really  must  be 
wrong  before  she  seemed  to  be  in  the  midst  of  a  strange  world 
aloof. 

"  I  am  sure  you  have  made  a  mistake !  "    The  ffirl's  clear 


248  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

voice  cut  through  the  driving  wind  as  they  rushed  along.  u  1 
must  go  back  right  away  to  that  office  from  which  you  brought 
me.  I  must  ^o  at  once  or  I  shall  be  too  late  for  my  train ! 
The  gentleman  will  be  very  angry ! "  She  spoke  in  the  tone 
that  always  brought  instant  obedience  from  the  employees 
around  the  office  building  at  home. 

But  the  driver  was  stolid.  He  scarcely  stirred  in  his  seat 
to  turn  toward  her.  His  thick  voice  was  brought  back  to  her 
on  the  breeze: 

"No,  lady,  it's  all  right,  lady!  I  hal  my  orders,  lady! 
You  needn't  to  worry.  I  get  you  there  plenty  time." 

A  wild  fear  seized  Shirley,  and  her  heart  lifted  itself  as 
was  its  habit,  to  God.  "  Oh,  my  Father !  Take  care  of  me  I 
Help  me !  Show  me  what  to  do ! "  she  cried. 

Thoughts  rushed  through  her  brain  as  fast  as  the  car 
rushed  over  the  ground.  What  was  she  up  against?  Was 
this  man  crazy  or  bad?  Was  he  perhaps  trying  to  kidnap 
her?  What  for?  She  shuddered  to  look  the  thought  in  the 
face.  Or  was  it  the  notes  ?  She  remembered  the  men  in  the 
office  and  what  they  had  said  about  keeping  still  and  "  spying- 
enemies."  But  nerhaps  she  was  mistaken.  Maybe  this  man 
was  only  stupia,  and  it  would  all  come  out  right  in  a  few 
minutes.  But  no,  she  must  not  wait  for  anything  like  that. 
She  must  take  no  chance.  The  notes  were  in  her  keeping. 
She  must  put  them  where  they  would  be  safe.  No  telling  how 
soon  she  would  be  overpowered  and  searched  if  that  was  what 
they  were  after.  She  must  hide  them,  and  she  must  think  of 
some  way  to  send  word  to  Mr.  Barnard  before  it  was  too  late. 
No  telling  what  moment  they  would  turn  from  the  main  road 
and  she  be  hidden  far  from  human  habitation.  She  must 
work  fast.  What  could  she  do  ?  Scream  to  the  next  passer-by  ? 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  249 

No,  for  the  car  was  going  too  fast  for  that  to  do  any  good,  and 
the  nouses  up  this  way  seemed  all  to  be  isolated,  and  few 
people  about.  There  were  houses  on  ahead  beyond  the  park. 
She  must  have  something  ready  to  throw  out  when  they  came 
to  them.  "  Oh  God !  Help  me  think  what  to  do !  "  she  prayed 
again,  and  then  looking  down  at  her  bag  she  saw  the  postal 
cards.  Just  the  thing!  Quickly  she  scribbled,  still  holding 
her  hand  within  the  bag  so  that  her  movements  were  not 
noticeable : 

"  Help !  Quick !  Being  carried  off !  Auto  I  Connecticut 
Ave. !  Park.  Deer.  Stone  bridge.  Phone  Mr.  Clegg.  Don't 
tell  mother!  Shirley/' 

She  turned  the  card  over,  drew  a  line  through  her  mother'i 
name  and  wrote  Carol's  in  its  place.  Stealthily  she  slipped 
the  card  up  her  sleeve,  dropped  her  hand  carelessly  over  the 
side  of  the  car  for  a  moment,  let  the  card  flutter  from  her 
fingers,  and  wrote  another. 

She  had  written  three  cards  and  dropped  them  in  front  of 
houses  before  it  suddenly  occurred  to  her  that  even  if  these 
cards  should  be  picked  up  and  mailed  it  would  be  sometime 
before  they  reached  their  destination  and  far  too  late  for  help 
to  reach  her  in  time.  Her  heart  suddenly  went  down  in  a 
swooning  sickness  and  her  breath  almost  went  from  her.  Her 
head  was  reeling,  and  all  the  time  she  was  trying  to  tell  her- 
self that  she  was  exaggerating  this  thing,  that  probably  the 
man  would  slow  up  or  something  and  it  would  all  be  ex- 
plained. Yes,  he  was  slowing  up,  but  for  what?  It  was  in 
another  lonely  spot,  and  out  from  the  bushes  there  appeared, 
as  if  by  magic,  another  man,  a  queer-looking  man  with  a 
heavy  mustache  that  looked  as  if  it  didL't  belong  to  him.  He 
stood  alertly  waiting  for  the  car  and  sprang  into  the  front  seat 


350  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

without  waiting  for  it  to  stop,  or  even  glancing  back  at  her, 
and  the  car  shot  forward  again  with  great  leaps. 

Shirley  dropped  out  the  two  cards  together  that  she  had 
just  written  and  leaned  forward,  touching  the  newcomer  on 
the  arm. 

"  Won't  you  please  make  this  driver  understand  that  he  is 
taking  me  to  the  wrong  place  ? "  she  said  with  a  pleasant 
smile.  "  I  must  get  back  to  an  office  two  or  three  blocks  away 
from  the  Treasury  Building  somewhere.  I  must  turn  back 
at  once  or  I  shall  miss  my  appointment  and  be  late  for  my 
train.  It  is  quite  important.  Tell  him,  please,  I  will  pay 
him  well  if  he  will  get  me  back  at  once." 

The  stranger  turned  with  an  oily  smile. 

"That's  all  right,  Miss.  He  isn't  making  any  mistake. 
We're  taking  you  right  to  Secretary  Baker's  country  home. 

He  sent  for  your  man,  Mr. What's  his  name  ?  I  forget. 

Barnard?  Oh,  yes.  He  sent  for  Mr.  Barnard  to  come  out 
there,  sent  his  private  car  down  for  him ;  and  Mr.  Barnard,  hs 
left  orders  we  should  go  after  you  and  bring  you  along.  It's 
something  they  want  to  change  in  those  notes  you  was  taking. 
There  was  a  mistake,  and  the  Secretary  he  wanted  to  look 
after  the  matter  himself/' 

Shirley  sat  back  with  a  sudden  feeling  of  weakness  and  a 
fear  she  might  faint,  although  she  had  never  done  such  a 
tiling  in  her  life.  She  was  not  deceived  for  an  instant  now, 
although  she  saw  at  once  that  she  must  not  let  the  man  know 
it.  The  idea  that  Secretary  Baker  would  pause  in  the  midst 
of  his  multiplicity  of  duties  to  look  into  the  details  of  a  small 
article  of  manufacture  was  ridiculous!  It  was  equally  im- 
possible that  Mr.  Barnard  would  have  sent  strangers  after  her 
and  let  her  be  carried  off  in  this  queer  way.  He  had  been  most 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  251 

particular  that  she  should  be  looked  after  carefully.  She  was 
horribly  to  blame  that  she  had  allowed  herself  to  be  carried 
back  at  all  until  Mr.  Barnard  himself  appeared ;  and  yet,  was 
she?  That  surely  had  been  the  page  from  the  office  who 
came  with  the  message?  Well,  never  mind,  she  was  in  for 
it  now,  and  she  must  do  her  best  while  there  was  any  chance 
to  do  anything.  She  must  drop  all  those  postals  somehow, 
and  she  must  hide  those  notes  somewhere,  and  perhaps  write 
some  others, — fake  ones.  What  should  she  do  first  ? 

"Father,  help  me!  Show  me!  Oh,  don't  let  me  lose 
the  notes !  Please  take  care  of  me !  "  Again  and  again  her 
heart  prayed  as  her  hand  worked  stealthily  in  her  bag,  while 
she  tried  to  put  a  pleasant  smile  upon  her  face  and  pretend 
she  was  still  deceived,  leaning  forward  and  speaking  to  the 
strange  man  once  more: 

"Is  Secretary  Baker's  home  much  farther  from  here?'* 
she  asked,  feeling  her  lips  draw  stiffly  in  the  frozen  smile  she 
forced.  "  Will  it  take  long  ?  " 

"  'Bout  ten  minutes !  "  the  man  answered  graciously,  with 
a  peculiar  look  toward  the  driver.  "  Nice  view  'round  here !  " 
he  added  affably  with  a  leering  look  of  admiration  toward  her. 

Shirley's  heart  stood  still  with  new  fear,  but  she  managed 
to  make  her  white  lips  smile  again  and  murmur,  "Charming !" 

Then  she  leaned  back  again  and  fussed  around  in  her  bag, 
ostentatiously  bringing  out  a  clean  handkerchief,  though  she 
really  had  been  detaching  the  pages  which  contained  the  notes 
from  her  loose-leaf  note-book.  There  were  not  many  of  them, 
for  she  always  wrote  closely  in  small  characters.  But  where 
should  she  hide  them?  Pull  the  lining  away  from  the  edge 
of  her  bag  and  slip  them  Inside?  No,  for  the  bag  would  be 
the  first  place  they  would  likely  search,  and  she  could  notf 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

poke  the  lining  back  smoothly  so  it  would  not  show.  If  she 
should  try  to  drop  the  tiny  pages  down  her  neck  inside  her 
blouse,  the  men  would  very  likely  see  her.  Dared  she  try  to 
slip  the  leaves  down  under  the  linen  robe  that  lay  over  her 
lap  and  put  them  inside  her  shoe?  She  was  wearing  plain 
little  black  pumps,  and  the  pages  would  easily  go  in  the  soles, 
three  or  four  in  each.  Once  in  they  would  be  well  hidden, 
and  they  would  not  rattle  and  give  notice  of  their  presence; 
but  oh,  what  a  terrible  risk  if  anything  should  happen  to 
knock  off  her  shoe,  or  if  they  should  try  to  search  her !  Still 
she  must  take  some  risk  and  this  was  the  safest  risk  at  hand. 
She  must  try  it  and  then  write  out  some  fake  notes,  giving 
false  numbers  and  sizes,  and  other  phraseology.  Or  stay* 
Wasn't  there  already  something  written  in  that  book  that 
would  answer?  Some  specifications  she  had  written  down 
for  the  Tillman-Brooks  Company.  Yes,  she  was  sure.  It 
wasn't  at  all  for  the  same  articles,  nor  the  same  measurements, 
but  only  an  expert  would  know  that.  She  leaned  down  quite 
naturally  to  pick  up  her  handkerchief  and  deftly  managed  tc 
get  five  small  leaves  slipped  into  her  right  shoe.  It  occurred 
to  her  that  she  must  keep  her  keepers  deceived,  so  she  asked 
once  more  in  gracious  tones : 

"  Would  it  trouble  you  any  to  mail  a  card  for  me  as  soon 
as  possible  after  we  arrive?  I  am  afraid  my  mother  will  be 
worried  about  my  delay  and  she  isn't  well.  I  suppose  they 
have  a  post  office  out  this  way." 

"  Sure,  Miss ! "  said  the  man  again,  with  another  leering 
smile  that  made  her  resolve  to  have  no  further  conversation 
than  was  absolutely  necessary.  She  took  out  her  fountain 
pen  and  hurriedly  wrote: 

"Detained  longer  than  I  expected.     May  not  get  back 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  253 

S.  H.,"  and  handed  the  card  to  the  man.  He  took 
it  and  turned  it  over,  all  too  evidently  reading  it,  and  put  it 
in  his  pocket.  Shirley  felt  that  she  had  made  an  impression 
of  innocence  by  the  move  which  so  far  was  good.  She  put 
away  her  fountain  pen  deliberately,  and  managed  in  so  doing 
to  manipulate  the  rest  of  the  leaves  of  notes  into  her  left 
shoe.  Somehow  that  gave  her  a  little  confidence  and  she  sat 
back  and  began  to  wonder  if  there  was  anything  more  she 
could  do.  Those  dropped  postals  were  worse  than  useless, 
of  course.  Why  had  she  not  written  an  appeal  to  whoever 
picked  them  up  ?  Suiting  the  action  to  the  thought  she  wrote 
another  postal  card — her  stock  was  getting  low,  there  were 
but  two  more  left. 

"  For  Christ's  sake  send  the  police  to  he^  me !  I  ain 
being  carried  off  by  two  strange  men !  Shirley  Hollister." 

She  marked  out  the  address  on  the  other  side  and  wrote : 
"  To  whoever  picks  this  up/'  She  fluttered  it  to  the  breeze 
cautiously ;  but  her  heart  sank  as  she  realized  how  little  likeli- 
hood there  was  of  its  being  picked  up  for  days  perhaps.  For 
who  would  stop  in  a  car  to  notice  a  bit  of  paper  on  the  road  ? 
And  there  seemed  to  be  but  few  pedestrians.  If  she  only  had 
something  larger,  more  attractive.  She  glanced  at  her  belong- 
ings and  suddenly  remembered  the  book  she  had  brought  with 
her  to  read,  one  of  the  new  novels  from  the  cottage,  a  goodly 
sized  volume  in  a  bright  red  cover.  The  very  thing! 

With  a  cautious  glance  at  her  keepers  she  took  up  the  book 
as  if  to  read,  and  opening  it  at  the  flyleaf  began  to  write  sur- 
reptitiously much  the  same  message  that  had  been  on  her  last 
postal,  signing  her  name  and  home  address  and  giving  her 
employers'  address.  Her  heart  was  beating  wildly  when  she 
had  finished.  She  was  trying  to  think  just  how  she  should 


S54  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

use  this  last  bit  of  ammunition  to  the  best  advantage.  Should 
she  just  drop  it  in  the  road  quietly  ?  If  only  there  were  some 
way  to  fasten  the  pages  open  so  her  message  would  be  read! 
Her  handkerchief !  Of  course !  She  folded  it  cornerwise  and 
slipped  it  in  across  the  pages  so  that  the  book  would  fall  open 
at  the  fly  leaf,  knotting  the  ends  on  the  back  of  the  cover. 
Every  moment  had  to  be  cautious,  and  she  must  remember 
to  keep  her  attitude  of  reading  with  the  printed  pages  cover- 
ing the  handkerchief.  It  seemed  hours  that  it  took  her,  her 
fingers  trembled  so.  If  it  had  not  been  for  the  rushing  noise 
of  wind  and  car  she  would  not  have  dared  so  much  undis- 
covered, but  apparently  her  captors  were  satisfied  that  she 
still  believed  their  story  about  going  to  Secretary  Baker's 
country  house,  for  they  seemed  mainly  occupied  in  watching 
to  see  if  they  were  pursued,  casting  anxious  glances  back  now 
and  tnen,  but  scarcely  noticing  her  at  all. 

Shirley  had  noticed  two  or  three  times  when  a  car  had 
passed  them  that  the  men  both  leaned  down  to  do  something 
at  their  feet  to  the  machinery  of  the  car.  Were  they  afraid 
of  being  recognized?  Would  this  perhaps  give  her  a  chance 
to  fling  her  book  out  where  it  would  be  seen  by  people  in  an 
oncoming  car  ?  Oh,  if  she  but  had  the  strength  and  skill  to 
fling  it  into  a  car.  But  of  course  that  was  impossible  without 
attracting  the  attention  of  the  two  men.  Nevertheless,  she 
must  try  what  she  could  do. 

She  lifted  her  eyes  to  the  road  ahead  and  lo,  a  big  car  was 
bearing  down  upon  them !  She  had  almost  despaired  of  meet- 
ing any  more,  for  the  road  was  growing  more  and  more  lonely 
and  they  must  have  come  many  miles.  As  soon  as  the  two 
men  in  front  of  her  sighted  the  car,  they  seemed  to  settle  in 
their  Beats  and  draw  their  hats  down,  a  little  farther  over  then 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  255 

£yes.  The  same  trouble  seemed  to  develop  with  the  machinery 
at  their  feet  that  Shirley  had  noticed  before,  and  they  bobbed 
and  ducked  and  seemed  to  be  wholly  engrossed  with  their  own 
affairs. 

Shirley's  heart  was  beating  so  fast  that  it  seemed  as  though 
it  would  suffocate  her,  and  her  hand  seemed  powerless  as  it 
lay  innocently  holding  the  closed  book  with  the  knotted 
handkerchief  turned  down  out  of  sight;  but  she  was  girding 
herself,  nerving  herself  for  one  great  last  effort,  and  praying 
to  be  guided. 

The  big  car  came  on  swiftly  and  was  about  to  pass,  when 
Shirley  half  rose  and  hurled  her  book  straight  at  it  and  then 
sank  back  in  her  seat  with  a  fearful  terror  upon  her,  closing 
her  eyes  for  one  brief  second,  not  daring  to  watch  the  results 
of  her  act, — if  there  were  to  be  any  results. 

The  men  in  the  front  seat  suddenly  straightened  up  antf 
looked  around. 

"What's  the  matter?"  growled  the  man  who  had  got  in 
last  in  quite  a  different  tone  from  any  he  had  used  before 
*c  What  you  tryin'  to  put  over  on  us  ?  " 

Shirley  gasped  and  caught  at  her  self-control. 

"I've  dropped  my  book,"  she  stammered  out  wildly- 
"Could  you  stop  long  enough  to  pick  it  up?  It  was  bor- 
rowed ! "  she  ended  sweetly  as  if  by  inspiration,  and  wonder- 
ing at  the  steadiness  of  her  tone  when  blood  was  pounding  so 
in  her  throat  and  ears,  and  everything  was  black  before  her. 
Perhaps — oh,  perhaps  they  would  stop  and  she  could  cry  out 
to  the  people  for  help. 

The  man  rose  up  in  his  seat  and  looked  back.  Shirley  casl 
one  frightened  glance  back,  too,  and  saw  in  that  brief  second 
that  the  other  car  had  stopped  and  someone  was  standing  up 
aiu?  looking  back. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

te  Hell !  No ! >f  said  her  captor  briefly,  ducking  down  in 
nis  seat.  "Let  her  out!"  he  howled  to  the  driver,  and  the 
car  broke  into  a  galloping  streak,  the  wheels  hardly  seeming 
to  touch  the  ground,  the  tonneau  bounding  and  swaying  this 
way  and  that.  Shirley  had  all  she  could  do  to  keep  in  her 
Beat.  At  one  moment  she  thought  how  easy  it  would  be  to 
spring  from  the  car  and  lie  in  a  little  still  heap  at  the  road- 
jide.  But  there  were  the  notes !  She  must  not  abandon  her 
trust  even  for  so  fearful  an  escape  from  her  captors.  Suddenly, 
without  warning,  they  turned  a  sharp  curve  and  struck  into  a 
rough,  almost  unbroken  road  into  the  woods,  and  the  thick 
growth  seemed  to  close  in  behind  them  and  shut  them  out 
from  the  world. 

Shirley  shut  her  eye* 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  next  trolley  that  passed  the  old  barn  after  the  Hol« 
listers  had  left  brought  a  maid  servant  and  a  man  servant 
from  the  Graham  place.  The  other  old  servant  met  them, 
and  together  the  three  went  to  work.  They  had  brought  with 
them  a  lot  of  large  dust-covers  and  floor-spreads  such  as  are 
used  by  housemaids  in  cleaning  a  room,  and  with  these  they 
now  proceeded  to  cover  all  the  large  pieces  of  furniture  in  the 
place.  In  a  very  short  space  of  time  the  rugs  and  bits  of 
carpet  were  carefully  rolled  up,  the  furniture  piled  in  small 
compass  in  the  middle  of  the  rooms,  and  everything  enveloped 
in  thick  coverings.  The  curtains,  bric-a-brac,  and  even  the 
dishes  were  put  away  carefully,  and  the  whole  big,  inviting 
home  was  suddenly  denuded.  The  clothes  from  the  calico- 
curtained  clothes-presses  were  folded  and  laid  in  drawers, 
and  everything  made  perfectly  safe  for  a  lot  of  workmen  to 
come  into  the  house.  Even  the  hay-loft  bedrooms  shared  iiv 
this  process.  Only  a  cot  was  left  for  the  old  servant  and  a  few 
necessary  things  for  him  to  use,  and  most  of  these  he  trans- 
ported to  the  basement  out  of  the  way.  When  the  work  was 
done  the  man  and  maid  took  the  trolley  back  home  again  and 
the  other  old  man  servant  arranged  to  make  his  Sabbath  as 
pleasant  as  possible  in  the  company  of  his  brother  from  the 
near-by  farm. 

Monday  morning  promptly  at  eight  o'clock  the  trolley, 
landed  a  bevy  of  workmen,  carpenters,  plasterers,  plumbers, 
and  furnace  men,  with  a  foreman  who  set  them  all  at  work 
as  if  it  were  a  puzzle  he  had  studied  out  and  memorized  the 
solution.  In  a  short  time  the  quiet  spot  was  full  of  sound, 
%7  267 


258  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

the  symphony  of  industry,  the  rhythm  of  toil.  Some  mem 
were  working  away  with  the  furnace  that  had  been  stored  in 
the  cellar;  others  were  measuring,  fitting,  cutting  holes  for 
lead  pipes;  still  others  were  sawing  away  at  the  roof,  making 
great  gashes  in  its  mossy  extent;  and  two  men  were  busj 
taking  down  the  old  barn  door.  Out  in  front  more  men  were 
building  a  vat  for  mortar,  and  opening  bags  of  lime  and  sand 
that  began  to  arrive.  Three  men  with  curious  aprons  made  of 
ticking,  filled  with  thin  wire  nails,  were  frantically  putting 
laths  on  the  uprights  that  the  carpenters  had  already  set  up, 
and  stabbing  them  with  nails  from  a  seemingly  inexhaustible 
supply  in  their  mouths.  It  was  as  if  they  had  all  engaged  to 
build  the  tower  of  Babel  in  a  day,  and  meant  to  win  a  prize 
at  it.  Such  sounds !  Such  shoutings,  such  hangings,  thump- 
ings,  and  harsh,  raucous  noises !  The  bird  in  the  tall  tree 
looked  and  shivered,  thankful  that  her  brood  were  well  away 
on  their  wings  before  all  this  cataclysm  came  to  pass. 

Presently  arrived  a  load  of  sashes,  doors,  and  wooden 
frames,  and  another  load  of  lumber.  Things  can  be  done  in  a 
hurry  if  you  have  money  and  influence  and  the  will  to  insist 
upon  what  you  want.  Before  night  there  was  a  good  start 
made  toward  big  changes  in  the  old  barn. 

Plumbers  and  gas-fitters  and  men  who  were  putting  in  the 
hot-water  heat  chased  one  another  around  the  place,  each 
Inan  seeking  to  get  his  pipes  in  place  before  the  lathers  got  to 
that  spot;  and  the  contractor  was  everywhere,  proving  his 
right  to  be  selected  for  this  rush  job.  As  soon  as  the  lathers 
had  finished  with  a  room  the  plasterers  took  possession,  and 
the  old  door  was  rapidly  being  replaced  with  a  great  glazed 
Hoor  set  in  a  frame  of  more  sashes,  so  that  the  old  darkness 

gone  entirely 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  259 

In  the  roof  big  dormer  windows  were  taking  the  place  of 
the  two  or  three  little  eyebrow  affairs  that  had  given  air  to 
the  hay  heretofore,  and  the  loft  was  i'ast  becoming  pleasanter 
than  the  floor  below. 

Outside  laborers  were  busy  building  up  a  terrace,  where 
a  wide  cement-floor  piazza  with  stone  foundations  and  low 
stone  walls  was  to  run  across  the  entire  front.  Another  chim- 
ney was  rising  from  the  region  of  the  kitchen.  A  white 
enamel  sink  with  a  wide  drain-shelf  attached  appeared  next, 
with  signs  of  a  butler's  pantry  between  kitchen  and  dining- 
room.  A  delightful  set  of  china-closet  doors  with  little 
diamond  panes  that  matched  the  windows  was  put  in  one 
corner  of  the  dining-room,  and  some  bookcases  with  sliding 
doors  began  to  develop  along  the  w&.  s  of  the  living-room. 
Down  in  the  basement  a  man  was  fitting  stationary  tubs  for 
a  laundry,  and  on  both  the  first  floor  and  the  second  bath- 
rooms were  being  made.  If  the  place  hadn't  been  so  big,  the 
workmen  would  have  got  in  one  another's  way.  Closets  big 
and  little  were  being  put  in,  and  parts  of  a  handsome  stair- 
case were  lying  about,  until  you  wouldn't  know  the  place  at 
all.  Every  evening  the  old  servant  and  the  neighbor  next 
door,  who  used  to  rent  the  old  barn  before  he  built  his  own 
new  one,  came  together  to  look  over  what  had  been  accom- 
plished during  the  day,  and  to  discourse  upon  this  changing 
world  and  the  wonders  of  it.  The  farmer,  in  fact,  learned 
a  great  deal  about  modern  improvements,  and  at  once  set 
about  bringing  some  of  them  to  bear  upon  his  own  modest 
farmhouse.  He  had  money  in  the  bank,  and  why  shouldn't 
he  "nave  things  convenient  for  Sally"? 

When  Sidney  Graham  reached  the  city  on  Monday  morn- 
ing he  scarcely  took  time  to  read  his  mail  in  the  office  and 


860  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

give  the  necessary  attention  to  the  day's  work  before  he  was 
ap  and  off  again,  flying  along  the  Glenside  Koad  as  fast  as 
his  car  would  carry  him.  His  mind  certainly  was  not  on 
business  that  morning.  He  was  as  eager  as  a  child  to  see 
how  work  at  the  old  barn  was  progressing,  and  the  workmen 
stood  small  chance  of  lying  down  on  their  job  that  week,  for 
he  meant  to  make  every  minute  count,  no  matter  how  much  it 
cost.  He  spent  a  large  part  of  Monday  hovering  about  the 
old  barn,  gloating  over  each  new  sign  of  progress,  using  his 
imagination  on  more  things  than  the  barn.  But  when  Tues- 
day arrived  an  accumulation  of  work  at  the  office  in  con- 
nection with  a  large  order  that  had  just  come  in  kept  him 
close  to  his  desk.  He  had  hoped  to  get  away  in  time  to  reach 
Glenside  before  the  workmen  left  in  the  afternoon,  but  four 
o'clock  arrived  with  still  a  great  pile  of  letters  for  him  to 
sign,  before  his  work  would  be  done  for  the  day. 

He  had  just  signed  his  name  for  the  forty-ninth  time 
and  laid  his  pen  down  with  an  impatient  sigh  of  relief  when 
the  telephone  on  his  desk  rang.  He  hesitated.  Should  he 
answer  it  and  be  hindered  again,  or  call  his  secretary  and  let 
her  attend  to  it  while  he  slipped  away  to  his  well-earned 
respite?  A  second  insistent  ring,  however,  brought  him  back 
to  duty  and  he  reached  out  and  took  up  the  receiver. 

"  Is  this  Mr.  Sidney  Graham  ?    Long  distance  is  calling !  * 

The  young  man  frowned  impatiently  and  wished  he  had 
Bent  for  his  secretary.  It  was  probably  another  tiresome 
confab  on  that  Chicago  matter,  and  it  really  wasn't  worth 
the  trouble,  anyway.  Then  a  small  scared  voice  at  the  other 
end  of  the  wire  spoke: 

"Is  that  you,  Mr.  Graham?  Well,  this  is  Carol.  Say. 
itr.  vJraham,  I'm  afraid  something  awful  has  happened  to 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  26J 

Shirley !  I  don't  know  what  to  do,  and  I  thought  I'd  bettei 
ask  you."  Her  voice  broke  off  in  a  gasp  like  a  sob. 

A  cold  chill  struck  at  the  young  man's  heart,  and  a  vision 
of  Shirley  battling  with  the  ocean  waves  was  instantly  con- 
jured up. 

"  Shirley !  Where  is  she  ?  Tell  me,  quick ! "  he  managed 
to  say,  though  the  words  seemed  to  stick  in  his  throat. 

"  She's  down  at  Washington,"  answered  Carol.  "  Mr. 
Barnard  phoned  her  last  night.  There  was  something  special 
nobody  else  could  take  notes  about,  because  it  was  for  a 
Government  contract,  and  has  to  be  secret.  Mr,  Barnard 
asked  her  to  please  go  and  she  went  this  morning.  Mother 
didn't  like  her  to  go,  but  she  addressed  a  lot  of  postal  cards 
for  her  to  write  back,  and  one  came  postmarked  Baltimore 
in  this  afternoon's  mail,  saying  she  was  having  a  nice  time. 
But  just  now  a  call  came  for  mother  to  go  to  the  telephone. 
She  was  asleep  and  George  was  crabbing  so  I  had  to  come. 
It  was  a  strange  man  in  Washington.  He  said  he  had  just 
found  three  postal  cards  on  the  road  addressed  to  mother,  that 
all  said  '  Help !  Quick !  Two  men  were  carrying  off  Shirley 
and  please  to  phone  to  the  police/  He  took  the  postals  to 
the  police  station,  but  he  thought  he  ought  to  phone  us.  And 
oh,  Mr.  Graham,  what  shall  I  do?  I  can't  tell  mother.  It 
will  kill  her,  and  how  can  we  help  Shirley?" 

"Don't  tell  mother,"  said  Graham  quickly,  trying  to 
speak  calmly  out  of  his  horror.  "Be  a  brave  girl,  Carol. 
A  great  deal  depends  on  you  just  now.  Have  you  phoned  Mr. 
Barnard  ?  Oh,  you  say  he's  in  Washington  ?  He  was  to  meet 
your  sister  in  Baltimore?  He  did  meet  her  you  say?  The 
postal  card  said  she  had  met  him?  Well,  the  next  thing  is 
to  phone  Mr.  Clegg  and  find  out  if  he  knows  anything.  Ill 


262  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

do  that  at  once,  and  unles«  Le  has  heard  that  she  is  all  right 
I  will  start  for  Washington  on  the  next  train.  Suppose  you 
stay  right  where  you  are  till  half -past  five.  I  may  want  to 
call  you  up  again  and  need  you  in  a  hurry.  Then  you  go 
back  to  the  cottage  as  fast  as  you  can  and  talk  cheerfully. 
Say  you  went  to  take  a  walk.  Isn't  Elizabeth  with  you? 
Well,  tell  her  to  help  keep  your  mother  from  suspecting 
anything.  Above  all  things  don't  cry !  It  won't  do  any  good 
and  it  may  do  lots  of  harm.  Get  George  off  by  himself  and 
tell  him  everything,  and  tell  him  I  said  he  was  to  make  some 
excuse  to  go  down  town  after  supper  and  stay  at  the  telephone 
office  till  ten  o'clock.  I  may  want  to  call  him  up  from 
Washington.  Now  be  a  brave  little  girl.  I  suspect  your 
sister  Shirley  would  tell  you  to  pray.  Good-by." 

"  I  will !  "  gasped  Carol.    "  Good-by !  " 

Graham  pressed  his  foot  on  the  bell  under  his  desk  and 
reached  out  to  slam  his  desk  drawers  shut  and  put  away  his 
papers.  His  secretary  appeared  at  the  door. 

"  Get  me  Barnard  and  Clegg  on  the  phone !  Ask  for 
Mr.  Barnard  or,  if  he  isn't  in,  Mr.  Clegg.  Then  go  out  to 
the  other  phone  and  call  up  the  station.  Find  out  what's  the 
next  express  to  Washington.  Tell  Bromwell  to  be  ready  to 
drive  me  to  the  station  and  bring  my  car  back  to  the  garage." 

He  was  working  rapidly  as  he  talked;  putting  papers  in 
the  safe,  jotting  down  a  few  notes  for  the  next  day's  work, 
trying  to  think  of  everything  at  once.  The  secretary  handed 
him  the  phone,  quietly  saying,  "  Mr.  Clegg  on  the  phone,"  and 
went  out  of  the  room. 

Excited  conference  with  Mr.  Clegg  brought  out  the  fact 
that  he  was  but  just  in  receipt  of  a  telegram  from  Police 
Headquarters  in  Washimrton  saying  that  a  book  with  Barnar<? 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  263 

and  Clegg's  address  and  an  appeal  from  a  young  woman 
named  Shirley  Hollister  who  was  apparently  being  kidnapped 
by  two  strange  men  in  an  auto,  had  been  flung  into  a  passing 
car  and  brought  to  them.  They  had  sent  forces  in  search 
of  the  girl  at  once  and  would  do  all  in  their  power  to  find 
her.  Meantime  they  would  like  any  information  that  would 
be  helpful  in  the  search. 

Mr.  Clegg  was  much  excited.  He  appeared  to  have  lost 
his  head.  He  seemed  glad  to  have  another  cooler  mind  at 
work  on  the  case.  He  spluttered  a  good  deal  about  the  im- 
portance of  the  case  and  the  necessity  for  secrecy.  He  said 
he  hoped  it  wouldn't  get  into  the  papers,  and  that  it  would 
be  Barnard  and  Clegg's  undoing  if  it  did.  He  seemed  more 
concerned  about  that  and  the  notes  that  Shirley  probably 
had,  than  about  the  girl's  situation.  When  Graham  brought 
him  up  rather  sharply  he  admitted  that  there  had  been  a 
message  from  Barnard  that  he  would  be  detained  over  night 
probably,  but  he  had  attached  no  significance  to  that.  He 
knew  Barnard's  usual  hotel  address  in  Washington  but  hadn't 
thought  to  phone  him  about  the  telegram  from  police  head- 
quarters. Graham  hung  up  at  last  in  a  panic  of  fury  and 
dismay,  ringing  violently  for  his  secretary  again. 

"  The  next  train  leaves  at  five  o'clock,"  she  said  capably, 
as  she  entered.  "  Bromwell  has  gone  after  the  car.  I  told 
him  to  buy  you  a  mileage  book  and  save  your  time  at  this 
snd.  You  have  forty  minutes  and  he  will  be  back  in  plenty 
of  time." 

"  Good  !  "  said  Graham.  "  Now  call  up  long  distance  and 
get  me  Police  Headquarters  in  Washington.  No!  Use  the 
phone  in  father's  office  please,  I'll  have  to  use  this  while  you're 
getting  them." 


864  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

As  soon  as  she  had  left  the  room  he  called  up  the  show 
again  and  was  fortunate  in  getting  Carol  almost  immediately, 
the  poor  child  being  close  at  hand  all  in  a  tremble,  with 
Elizabeth  in  no  less  a  state  of  nervousness,  brave  and  white, 
waiting  for  orders. 

"  Can  yoa  give  me  an  exact  description  of  your  sister's 
dress,  and  everything  that  she  had  with  her  when  she  started 
this  morning  ?  "  asked  Graham,  prepared  with  pen  and  paper 
to  write  it  down. 

Carol  summoned  her  wits  and  described  Shirley's  simple 
outfit  exactly,  even  down  to  the  little  black  pumps  on  her 
feet,  and  went  mentally  through  the  small  hand-bag  she  had 
carried. 

"Oh,  yes!"  she  added,  "and  she  had  a  book  to  read! 
One  she  found  here  in  the  cottage.  It  had  a  red  cover  and 
was  called,  "  From  the  Car  Behind." 

Graham  wrote  them  all  down  carefully,  asked  a  few  more 
details  of  Shirley's  plans,  and  bade  Carol  again  to  be  brave 
and  go  home  with  a  message  to  George  to  be  at  the  phone 
from  half -past  eight  to  ten. 

He  was  all  ready  to  go  to  his  train  when  the  Washington 
call  came  in,  and  as  he  hurried  to  his  father's  office  to  answer 
it  he  found  his  heart  crying  out  to  an  Unseen  Power  to  help 
in  this  trying  hour  and  protect  the  sweet  girl  in  awful  peril. 

"  Oh,  God,  I  love  her ! "  he  found  his  heart  saying  over 
and  over  again,  as  if  it  had  started  out  to  be  an  individual  by 
itself  without  his  will  or  volition. 

There  was  no  comfort  from  Washington  Police  Head- 
quarters. Nothing  more  had  been  discovered  save  another 
crumpled  postal  lying  along  the  roadside.  They  received 
with  alacrity,  however,  Mr.  Barnard's  Washington  hotel  ad- 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  £66 

drees,  and  the  description  of  the  young  woman  and  her  be- 
longings. When  Graham  had  finished  the  hasty  conversation 
he  had  to  fly  to  make  his  train,  and  when  at  last  he  lay  back 
in  his  seat  in  the  parlor  car  and  let  the  waves  of  his  anxiety 
and  trouble  roll  over  him  he  was  almost  overwhelmed.  He 
had  led  a  comparatively  tranquil  life  for  a  young  man  who 
had  never  tried  to  steer  clear  of  trouble,  and  this  was  the  first 
great  calamity  that  had  ever  come  his  way.  Calamity?  No, 
he  would  not  own  yet  that  it  was  a  calamity.  He  was  hurrying 
to  her!  He  would  find  her!  He  would  not  allow  himself 
to  think  that  anything  had  befallen  her.  But  wherever  she 
was,  if  she  was  still  alive,  no  matter  how  great  her  peril,  he 
was  sure  she  was  praying  now,  and  he  would  pray  too !  Yes, 
pray  as  she  had  taught  him.  Oh,  God!  If  he  only  knew 
how  to  pray  better !  What  was  it  she  had  said  so  often  ? 
"  Whatsoever  ye  ask  in  my  name  " — yes,  that  was  it — "  I  will 
do  it/'  What  was  that  talismanic  Name?  Ah!  Christ!  "Oh, 
God,  in  the  name  of  Christ — "  But  when  he  came  to  the 
thought  of  her  she  was  too  exquisite  and  dear  to  be  put  into 
words,  so  his  petition  went  up  in  spirit  form,  unframed  by 
words  to  weight  it  down,  wafted  up  by  the  pain  of  a  soul  in 
torture. 

At  Baltimore  it  occurred  to  Graham  to  send  a  telegram 
to  Barnard  to  meet  him  at  the  train,  and  when  he  got  out  at 
Union  Station  the  first  person  he  saw  was  Barnard,  white  and 
haggard,  looking  for  him  through  the  bars  of  the  train  gate, 
He  grasped  the  young  man's  hand  as  if  it  were  a  last  straw 
for  a  drowning  man  to  cling  to,  and  demanded  in  a  shaking 
voice  to  know  if  he  had  heard  anything  from  Miss  Hollister. 

One  of  the  first  questions  that  Graham  asked  was  whether 
Barnard  had  been  back  to  the  office  where  Miss  Hollister  had 
taken  the  dictation,  to  report  her  disappearance. 


*66  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"Well,  no,  I  hadn't  thought  of  that/''  said  Barnard 
blankly.  "  What  would  they  know  about  it  ?  The  fact  is  I 
was  rather  anxious  to  keep  the  facts  from  getting  to  them. 
You  see  they  warned  me  that  there  were  parties  anxious  to 
get  hold  of  those  specifications.  It's  Government  work,  you 
know/' 

"  They  should  know  at  onco,"  said  Graham  sternly.  "  They 
may  have  inside  information  which  would  give  us  a  clew  to 
follow.  The  secret  service  men  are  onto  a  lot  of  things  that 
we  common  mortals  don't  suspect." 

Mr.  Barnard  looked  mortified  and  convinced. 

"Well,  what  have  you  done  so  far?  We  would  better 
understand  each  other  thoroughly  so  as  to  save  time  and  not 
go  over  old  ground.  You  have  been  in  communication  with 
Police  Headquarters,  of  course  ?  "  asked  Graham. 

"Why,  no,"  said  the  older  man  apologetically.  "You 
see,  I  got  here  just  in  time  for  the  train,  and  failing  to  find 
the  young  lady  in  the  station  where  we  had  agreed  to  meet,  I 
took  it  for  granted  that  she  had  used  the  extra  time  in  driving 
about  to  see  a  few  sights  in  the  city,  as  I  suggested,  and  had 
somenow  failed  to  get  back  in  time.  I  couldn't  understand  it 
because  she  had  been  quite  anxious  to  get  home  to-night.  I 
could  have  caught  the  train  myself,  but  didn't  exactly  like  to 
leave  her  alone  in  a  strange  city,  though,  of  course,  it's  per- 
fectly safe  for  a  steady  girl  like  that.  Afterward  it  occurred 
to  me  that  she  might  have  gotten  on  the  train  and  perhaps  I 
should  have  done  so  too,  but  there  was  really  very  little  time 
to  decide,  for  the  train  pulled  out  two  minutes  after  I  reached 
the  station.  I  waited  about  here  for  a  time,  and  then  went 
over  to  the  Continental,  where  my  sister  is  stopping,  thinking 
I  would  ask  her  to  stay  in  the  station  and  watch  for  the  young 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  267 

lady  and  I  would  go  home;  but  I  found  my  sister  had  run 
down  to  the  shore  for  a  few  days ;  so  I  had  something  to  eat 
and  while  I  was  in  the  dining-room  your  telegram  came.  I 
was  hoping  somehow  you  had  seen  Miss  Hollister,  or  had 
word  from  her,  and  it  was  all  right/' 

One  could  see  the  poor  man  had  no  conception  of  what 
was  due  to  a  lady  in  his  care,  and  Graham  looked  at  him  for 
a  moment  with  rage,  wishing  he  could  take  him  hy  the  throat 
and  shake  some  sense  into  him. 

"  Then  you  don't  know  f'at  she's  been  kidnapped  and  the 
police  are  out  on  track  for  her?"  said  Graham  dryly. 

"No!  You  don't  sa^!"  exclaimejd  Barnard,  turning 
white  and  showing  he  had  some  real  feeling  after  all.  e<  Kid- 
napped !  Why — why — how  could  she  ?  And  she's  got  those 
notes!  Why,  Graham!  You're  fooling !  Why,  how  came  you 
to  know?" 

Graham  told  him  tersely  as  he  walked  the  man  over  to 
the  telephone  booths,  and  finished  with: 

"  Now,  you  go  in  that  booth  and  phone  your  Government 
man,  and  I'll  call  up  police  headquarters  and  see  whaf  s 
doing.  We've  got  to  work  fast,  for  there's  no  telling  what 
may  have  happened  in  the  last  three  hours.  It's  up  to  us 
to  find  that  girl  before  anything  worse  happens  to  her." 

White  and  trembling  Barnard  tottered  into  the  booth. 
When  he  came  out  again  the  sleuth-hounds  of  the  Secret 
Service  were  on  the  trail  of  Shirley  Hollister's  captors. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  car  that  was  bearing  Shirley  Hollister  through  the 
lonely  wooded  road  at  a  breathless  speed  suddenly  came  to  a 
halt  in  the  rear  of  an  old  house  whose  front  faced  on  another 
road  equally  lonely.  During  the  brief  time  that  they  had 
been  in  the  woods,  the  sky  seemed  to  have  perceptibly  dark- 
ened with  the  coming  evening. 

Shirley  looked  about  her  with  increased  fright.  It  was 
almost  night  and  here  was  her  prison,  far  from  town  or 
human  dwelling  place.  Even  the  road  was  at  some  distance 
in  front  of  the  house,  and  there  were  more  woods  on  either 
side. 

"This  here  is  Secretary  Baker's  summer  home,"  an- 
nounced the  man  who  had  done  the  talking,  as  he  climbed 
out  of  the  car  and  opened  the  door  for  her.  ee  You  can  just 
fitep  in  the  back  door  and  go  through  to  the  parlor;  the  help's 
all  out  this  afternoon.  The  Secretary5!!  be  down  presently. 
He  always  takes  a  nap  afternoons  about  this  time.  I'll  tell 
bin*  you've  come." 

There  seemed  nothing  to  do  but  obey,  and  Shirley  chose 
to  let  the  farce  continue.  Surely  the  man  must  know  she 
was  not  a  fool,  but  it  was  better  than  open  hostility.  There 
was  nothing  to  be  gained  by  informing  him  that  she  knew  h<  ' 
was  guying  her. 

"  Oh,  Jesus  Christ,  I  trust  myself  to  you ! "  she  breathed 
in  her  heart  as  she  stepped  across  the  leaf -strewn  grass  and 
looked  about  her,  wondering  whether  she  should  ever  walk 
the  earth  again  after  she  had  stepped  into  the  dim  tree- 
shrouded  house.  But  why  go  in? 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  26t 

"  I  think  I  will  remain  out  here,"  she  said  calmly,  albeit 
her  heart  was  pounding  away  like  a  trip-hammer.  "  Pleasa 
tell  Mr.  Baker  to  come  to  me  here.  It  is  much  pleasantei 
than  in  the  house  a  day  like  this." 

"Aw  no!  You  won't  neither!  The  Secretary  don't  re- 
ceive in  the  open  air  even  in  summer,"  drawled  the  man, 
and  she  noticed  that  he  and  the  driver  straightened  up  and 
stepped  closer  to  her,  one  on  either  side.  She  gave  one  wild 
glance  toward  the  open  space.  There  was  simply  no  chance  at 
all  to  run  away  even  if  she  succeeded  in  eluding  them  at  the 
start  by  a  quick,  unexpected  dash.  They  were  alert  athletic 
men,  and  no  telling  how  many  more  were  hidden  in  the  house. 

"  Oh,  very  well,  of  course,  if  it's  a  matter  of  etiquette !  * 
•aaid  Shirley  pleasantly,  determined  to  keep  up  the  farce  a> 
long  as  possible. 

A  cold,  dark  air  met  the  girl  as  she  stepped  within  the 
creaking  door  and  looked  about  her.  At  her  left  was  an  old- 
fashioned  kitchen,  dusty  and  cobwebby.  A  long,  narrow 
hall  led  to  the  front  of  the  nouse  and  her  guide  pointed  her 
toward  a  room  on  tha  right.  There  was  something  hollow 
and  eerie  in  the  sound  of  their  footsteps  on  the  old  oaken 
floor.  The  room  into  which  she  was  ushered  was  musty  and 
dusty  as  the  rest.  The  floor  was  covered  with  an  ancient 
ingrain  carpet.  The  table  was  covered  with  a  magenta  felt 
cover  stamped  with  a  vine  of  black  leaves  and  riddled  witb 
moth  holes.  The  walls  were  hung  with  old  prints  and  steel 
engravings  suspended  by  woollen  cords  and  tassels.  The  furni- 
ture was  dilapidated.  Everything  was  covered  with  dust, 
but  there  were  finger  marks  in  the  dust  here  and  there 
that  showed  the  place  had  been  recently  visited.  Through  an 
open  doorway  an  old  square  piano  was  visible  in  what  must 


370  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

be  the  parlor.  The  place  seemed  to  Shirley  fairly  teeming 
with  memories  of  some  family  now  departed.  She  leaped  to 
the  quick  conclusion  that  the  house  had  been  long  deserted 
and  had  only  recently  been  entered  and  used  as  a  rendezvous 
for  illegal  conferences.  It  occurred  to  her  that  there  might 
be  an  opportunity  for  her  to  hide  her  precious  papers  some- 
where safely  if  it  came  to  it  that  she  must  be  searched.  How 
about  that  piano?  Could  she  slip  some  of  them  between  the 
keys?  But  it  was  hardly  likely  that  there  would  be  oppor- 
tunity for  anything  like  that. 

She  felt  strangely  calm  as  she  looked  about  upon  her 
prison. 

"  H'm  !  He  ain't  come  yet !  "  remarked  her  guide  as  he 
glanced  into  the  front  room.  "  Well,  you  can  set  down.  He 
won't  be  long  now.  Joe,  you  jest  look  about  a  bit  and  see  if 
you  can  find  the  Secretary,  and  tell  him  the  young  lady  is 
here/' 

The  man  flung  himself  full  length  on  the  carpet-covered 
couch  and  looked  at  her  with  satisfaction. 

"What  train  was  that  you  said  you  must  make?  I'm 
afraid  now  you  might  be  going  to  be  just  a  trifle  late  if  he 
don't  get  a  hustle  on,  but  you  can't  hurry  a  great  man  like  that 
you  know." 

"  Oh,  it's  no  matter !  "  said  Shirley  coolly,  looking  around 
her  with  the  utmost  innocence.  "  What  a  quaint  old  house ! 
Has  it  been  in  the  family  a  long  time  ?  " 

The  man  looked  at  her  amusedly. 

"  You're  a  cute  one !  "  he  remarked  affably.  "  I  believe 
you're  a  pretty  good  sport!  You  know  perfectly  well  you're 
in  my  power  and  can't  do  a  turn  to  help  yourself,  yet  you 
sail  around  here  as  calm  as  a  queen  !  You're  some  looker,  too  I 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  $71 

Blamed  if  I'm  not  enjoying  myself.  I  wouldn't  mind  a  kiss 
or  two  from  those  pretty  lips — — " 

But  Shirley  had  melted  through  the  doorway  into  the 
other  room  and  her  voice  floated  back  with  charming  in- 
difference as  if  she  had  not  heard,  though  she  was  ready  to 
scream  with  loathing  and  fear  of  the  man : 

"Why,  isn't  this  a  delightful  old  piano?  The  keys  are 
actually  mother-of-pearl.  Isn't  it  odd?  Would  Mr.  Baker 
mind  if  I  played  on  it  ?  " 

And  before  her  astonished  captor  could  get  himself  to  the 
doorway  she  had  sat  down  on  the  rickety  old  hair-cloth  stool 
and  swept  the  keys  lightly.  The  old  chords  trembled  and 
ihivered  as  if  awaking  from  a  tomb,  and  uttered  forth  a 
quavering,  sweet  sound  like  ancient  memories. 

The  man  was  too  much  astonished  to  stop  her,  amused 
too,  perhaps,  and  interested.  Her  white  fingers  over  the 
dusty  pearls  in  the  growing  dusk  had  a  strange  charm  for 
the  hardened  reprobate,  like  the  wonder  of  a  flower  dropped 
into  the  foulness  of  a  prison.  Before  he  could  recover,  he  was 
startled  again  by  her  voice  soaring  out  in  the  empty  echoing 
house: 

Rock  of  ages,  cleft  for  me, 

Let  me  hide  myself  in  Thee; 
Let  the  water  and  the  blood 

From  Thy  riven  side  which  flowed, 
Be  of  sin  the  double  cure, 

Save  me  Lord  and  make  me  pure! 

Perhaps  those  dim,  gloomy  walls  had  echoed  before  to  th<j 
grand  old  tune,  but  never  could  it  have  been  sung  in  direi 
strait,  or  with  more  earnest  cry  from  a  soul  in  distress.  She 
had  chosen  the  first  words  that  seemed  to  fit  the  chords  she 


272  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

had  struck,  but  every  syllable  was  a  prayer  to  the  G&d  in 
whom  she  trusted.  It  may  be  the  man  felt  the  power  of  her 
appeal  as  he  stood  rooted  in  the  doorway  and  listened  while 
she  sang  through  all  the  verses  she  could  remember.  But 
the  last  trembling  note  was  broken  harshly  by  Joe's  voice  at 
the  kitchen  door  in  sharp,  rasping  orders: 

te  Hist,  there !  Can  that  noise !  Do  you  want  to  raise  hell 
here?  Wake  up,  Sam !  Get  onto  your  job.  Hennie's  cominV 

"  That's  all  right,  Joe  !  Dry  up  !  This  is  good  Sunday 
School  dope !  This  won't  rouse  no  suspicions.  Go  to  the  devil 
and  mind  your  business !  I  know  what  I'm  about !  " 

Shirley  was  almost  ready  to  cry,  but  she  drew  a  deep  breath 
and  started  on  another  song: 

Jesus,  Lover  of  my  soul, 

Let  me  to  Thy  bosom  fly, 
While  the  nearer  waters  roll, 

While  the  tempest  still  is  high! 
Hide   me,  oh,  my   Saviour  hide, 

Till  the  storm  of  life  is  past. 

On  through  the  time-worn  words  she  sang,  while  the  sin- 
hardened  man  stood  silently  and  listened.  His  eyes  had 
gradually  lost  their  leer  and  grown  soft  and  tender,  as  if 
some  childhood  memories  of  home  and  mother  and  a  time 
when  he  was  innocent  and  good  were  looking  out  his  eyes, 
reminding  him  of  what  he  once  intended  to  be  before  he  ate 
the  apple  of  wisdom  and  became  as  the  gods  and  devils. 
Shirley  gradually  became  aware  that  she  was  holding  her 
strange  audience;  and  a  power  beyond  herself  steadied  her 
voice,  and  kept  her  fingers  from  trembling  on  the  old  pearl 
keys,  as  she  wandered  on  from  song  to  song;  perhaps  hap- 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  273 

pening  on  the  very  ones, — who  knows  ? — that  this  man,  stand- 
ing in  the  dying  twilight  of  the  old!  gloomy  house,  had  sung 
beside  his  mother's  hearth  or  in  church  during  his  childhood  ? 
Certain  it  is  that  he  stood  there  silent  and  listened  for  at  least 
half  an  hour  without  an  interruption,  while  the  light  in  the 
big  room  grew  dimmer  and  dimmer  and  all  about  the  house 
seemed  still  as  death  in  the  intervals  between  her  voice. 
She  was  just  beginning : 

Abide  with  me, 

Fast  falls  the  eventide, 
The  darkness  deepens, 

Lord,  with  me  abide! 

When  the  man  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  brought  out  a 
candle.  Scratching  a  match  on  his  trousers,  he  lit  the  candle 
and  set  it  carefully  on  the  piano,  where  its  light  fell  nickering, 
wavering  over  her  worn  young  face;  and  who  shall  say  that 
she  was  not  a  messenger  from  another  world  to  this  man  who 
had  long  trodden  the  downward  path  ? 

They  were  interrupted,  however,  before  this  song  was 
finished  by  a  newcomer  who  entered  like  a  shadow  and  stood 
at  the  end  of  the  piano  looking  wonderingly  from  Shirley 
to  the  man,  when  she  glanced  up.  She  stopped,  startled, 
for  although  he  wore  no  brass  buttons  nor  blue  clothes  she 
was  quite  sure  those  were  the  same  gray  eyes  that  had  looked 
at  her  from  the  recess  of  the  window  in  the  Government  office 
that  afternoon,  perhaps  the  same  boy  who  had  come  after 
her  car  and  sent  her  off  on  this  long  way  into  the  wilderness. 

The  man  Sam  straightened  up  suddenly  and  looked  about 
him  half-ashamed  with  an  apologetic  grin : 

"  Oh,  you've  come,  have  you,  Hennie  ?  Well,  you  been  a 
If 


274  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

long  time  about  it!  But  now  I  guess  we'll  get  to  work 
Where's  Joe?  Out  on  the  watch?  All  right  then,  Miss,  if 
you've  no  objection,  we'll  just  take  a  little  vacation  on  the 
psalm  singin'  and  turn  our  attention  to  worldly  things.  I 
calculate  you're  sharp  enough  to  know  what  we  brought  you 
put  here  for  ?  I  acknowledge  you  can  sing  real  well,  and  you 
aorta  got  my  goat  for  a  while  there  with  all  that  mourning 
bench  tra-la,  for  you  certainly  have  got  that  holy  dope  down 
fine;  but  now  the  time's  come  for  business,  and  you  needn't 
to  think  that  because  I  can  enjoy  a  little  sentiment  now  and 
ihen  in  a  leisure  moment  that  you  can  put  anything  over  on 
me,  for  it  can't  be  did !  I  mean  business  and  I've  got  you  in 
pay  power!  We're  ten  miles  from  any  settlement,  and  no 
fleighbors  anywhere's  about.  Everybody  moved  away.  So  it 
won't  do  any  good  to  work  any  funny  business  on  us.  You 
can't  get  away.  We're  all  armed,  and  no  one  knows  where 
you  are!  If  you  behave  yourself  and  do  as  you're  told  there 
won't  be  any  trouble.  We'll  just  transact  our  business  and 
then  we'll  have  a  bit  of  supper,  and  mebbe  a  few  more  tunes — • 
got  any  rag- time  in  your  repitwar  ? — and  then  sometime  after 
midnight,  when  the  moon's  good  and  dark,  we'll  get  you  back 
to  civilization  where  you  won't  have  no  trouble  in  gettin' 
home.  But  if  you  act  up  and  get  funny,  why  you  know  what 
to  expect.  There  was  a  young  girl  murdered  once  in  this 
house  and  buried  in  the  cellar  and  ever  since  folks  say  if  a 
hanted  and  they  won't  come  near  it.  That's  the  kind  of  a 
place  we're  in  !  So,  now  are  you  ready  ?  " 

Shirley  sat  cold  and  still.  It  seemed  as  if  her  life  blood 
had  suddenly  congealed  in  her  veins  and  for  a  second  she  felt 
as  if  her  senses  were  going  to  desert  her.  Then  the  echo  of 
her  own  song :  "  Hide  me,  oh,  my  Saviour  hide ! "  seemed  to 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  273 

ery  out  from  her  soul  silently  and  she  rallied  once  more  and 
gained  her  self-control. 

"Well,  Miss/'  went  on  the  man  impressively,  "I  sef 
you're  ready  for  the  question,  and  you've  got  your  nerve  with 
you,  too,  I'll  hand  you  that !  But  I  warn  you  it  won't  do  nc» 
good !  We  brung  you  out  here  to  get  a  hold  of  that  note-book 
you  wrote  in  this  morning,  and  we're  goin'  to  have  it.  We 
know  that  Mr.  Barnard  left  it  in  your  care.  Hennie  here 
heard  him  say  for  you  to  keep  it.  So  it  won't  be  of  any  use 
for  you  to  lie  about  it." 

"  Of  course  !  "  said  Shirley,  standing  up  and  reaching  over 
for  her  hand-bag,  which  she  had  laid  on  the  piano  beside  her 
while  she  played.  "  I  understand  perfectly.  But  I'd  like  to 
gsk  you  a  question,  Mr. ?  " 

"  Smith,  or  Jones,  whichever  you  like  to  call  it.  Spit  if 
out!" 

"  I  suppose  you  are  paid  to  bring  me  out  here,  Mr.  Smith, 
and  get  my  property  away  from  me  ?  "  she  said  gravely. 

"Well,  yes,  we  don't  calculate  to  do  it  just  for  sweet 
charity." 

"And  7  am  paid  to  look  after  my  note-book,  you  see.  It's 
a  trust  that  has  been  given  me !  I  just  have  to  look  after  it. 
It's  out  of  the  question  for  me  to  desert  it !  "  Shirley  spoke 
coolly  and  held  her  little  bag  close  in  the  firm  grasp  of  her 
two  hands.  The  man  stared  at  her  and  laughed.  The  boy 
Hennie  fairly  gaped  in  his  astonishment.  "  A  girl  with  all  that 
nerve ! " 

"  Of  course,  I  understand  perfectly  that  you  can  murder 
me  and  bury  me  down  in  the  cellar  beside  that  other  girl 
that  was  murdered,  and  perhaps  no  one  will  find  it  out  for 
a  while,  and  you  can  go  on  having  a  good  time  on  the  money 


276  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

you  will  get  for  it.  But  the  day  will  come  when  you  will 
have  to  answer  for  it!  You  know  I  didn't  come  here  alone 
to-day !" 

Both  men  looked  startled  and  glanced  uneasily  into  the 
shadows,  as  if  there  might  be  someone  lurking  there. 

"  God  came  with  me  and  He  knows !  He'll  make  you 
remember  some  day !  " 

The  boy  laughed  out  a  nervous  ha !  ha !  of  relief,  but  the 
man  seemed  held,  fascinated  by  her  look  and  words.  There 
was  silence  for  a  second  while  the  girl  held  off  the  ruffian 
in  the  man  by  sheer  force  of  her  strong  personality.  Then 
the  boy  laughed  again,  with  a  sneer  in  the  end  of  it,  and 
the  spell  was  broken.  The  leer  came  into  the  eyes  of  the  man 
again.  The  sneer  of  the  boy  had  brought  him  to  himself, — 
to  the  self  he  had  come  to  be. 

"  Nix  on  the  sob-stuff,  girlie !  "  he  said  gruffly.  "  It  won't 
go  down  with  me!  We're  here  for  business  and  we've  been 
delayed  too  long  already.  Come  now,  will  you  hand  out  that 
note-book  or  will  we  have  to  search  you?"  He  took  one 
stride  across  to  where  she  stood  and  wrenched  the  hand-bag 
from  her  grasp  before  she  was  aware  of  his  intention.  She 
had  not  meant  to  give  it  up  without  a  struggle,  much  as  she 
loathed  the  thought  of  one.  She  must  make  the  matter  last 
as  long  as  possible,  if  perchance  God  was  sending  help  to 
her,  and  must  contest  every  inch  of  the  way  as  far  as  lay  in 
her  power.  Oh,  had  anyone  picked  up  her  cards?  Had 
the  book  with  its  message  reached  any  friendly  eye? 

Frail  and  white  and  stern  she  stood  with  folded  arms 
while  they  turned  out  the  contents  of  the  little  bag  and 
scattered  it  over  the  piano,  searching1  with  clumsy  finger* 
among  her  dainty  things. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  277 

The  note-book  she  had  rolled  within  her  handkerchiefs 
and  made  it  hard  to  find.  She  feared  lest  her  ruse  would 
be  discovered  when  they  looked  it  over.  The  boy  was  the  one 
who  clutched  for  the  little  book,  recognizing  it  as  the  one 
he  had  seen  in  the  office  that  morning.  The  man  hung  over 
shis  shoulder  and  peered  in  the  candlelight,  watching  the  boy 
anxiously.  It  meant  a  good  deal  of  money  if  they  put  this 
thing  through. 

"  Here  it  is ! "  said  the  boy,  fluttering  through  the  leaves 
and  carefully  scrutinizing  the  short-hand  characters.  "  Yes, 
that's  the  dope!7' 

He  ran  his  eye  down  the  pages,  caught  a  word  here  and 
there,  technicalities  of  manufacture,  the  very  items,  of  course, 
that  he  wanted,  if  this  had  been  the  specifications  for  the  Gov- 
ernment order.  Shirley  remembered  with  relief  that  none  of 
the  details  were  identical,  however,  with  the  notes  she  carried 
in  her  shoes.  The  book-notes  were  in  fact  descriptive  of  an 
entirely  different  article  from  that  demanded  by  the  Govern- 
ment. The  question  was,  would  these  people  be  wise  enough 
to  discover  that  f act  before  she  was  out  of  their  power  or  not  ? 

Furtively  she  studied  the  boy.  There  was  something  keen 
and  cunning  about  his  youthful  face.  He  was  thick-set,  with 
blond  hair  and  blue  eyes.  He  might  be  of  German  origin, 
though  there  was  not  a  sign  of  accent  about  his  speech.  He 
had  the  bull-dog  chin,  retreating  forehead  and  eagle  nose  of 
the  Kaiser  in  embryo.  Shirley  saw  all  this  as  she  studied  him 
furtively.  That  he  was  an  expert  in  short-hand  was  proved  by 
the  ease  with  which  he  read  some  of  her  obscure  sentences, 
translating  rapidly  here  and  there  as  he  examined  the  book. 
Was  he  well  enough  informed  about  the  Government  con- 
tract to  realize  that  these  were  not  the  notes  she  had  taken 


378  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

in  the  office  that  morning?  And  should  he  fail  to  recog* 
nize  it,  was  there  perhaps  some  one  higher  in  authority  to 
whom  they  would  be  shown  before  she  was  released?  She 
shivered  and  set  her  weary  toes  tight  with  determination  over 
the  little  crinkling  papers  in  her  shoes.  Somehow  she  would 
protect  those  notes  from  being  taken,  even  if  she  had  to 
swallow  them.  There  surely  would  be  a  way  to  hide  them  if 
the  need  came. 

Suddenly  the  tense  strain  under  which  she  was  holding 
herself  was  broken  by  the  man.  He  looked  up  with  a  grin, 
rubbing  his  hands  with  evident  self-gratulation  and  relief : 

"  That's  all  right,  Girlie !  That's  the  dope  we  want.  Now 
we  won't  trouble  you  any  longer.  We'll  have  supper.  Hennie, 
you  go  get  some  of  that  wood  out  in  the  shed  and  we'll  have  a 
fire  on  the  hearth  and  make  some  coffee ! " 

But  Shirley,  standing  white  and  tense  in  the  dim  shadow 
of  the  room,  suddenly  felt  the  place  whirling  about  her,  and 
the  candle  dancing  afar  off.  Her  knees  gave  way  beneath  her 
and  she  dropped  back  to  the  piano  stool  weakly,  and  covered 
her  face  with  her  hands,  pressing  hard  on  her  eyeballs ;  trying 
to  keep  her  senses  and  stop  this  black  dizziness  that  threatened 
to  submerge  her  consciousness.  She  must  not  faint — if  this 
was  fainting.  She  must  keep  her  senses  and  guard  her  precious 
shoes.  If  one  of  those  should  fall  off  while  she  was  uncon* 
gcious  all  would  be  undone. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  man  looked  up  from  the  paper  he  was  twisting  for  a 
fire  and  saw  Shirley's  attitude  of  despair. 

"  Say,  kid/'  he  said,  with  a  kind  of  gruff  tenderness,  "  you 
don't  need  to  take  it  that  a-way.  I  know  it's  tough  luck  to 
lose  out  when  you  been  so  nervy  and  all,  but  you  knew  we  had 
it  over  you  from  the  start.  You  hadn't  a  show.  And  say ! 
Girlie!  I  tell  you  what!  I'll  make  Hennie  sit  down  right 
now  and  copy  'em  off  for  you,  and  you  can  put  'em  in  your 
book  again  when  you  get  back  and  nobody  be  the  wiser.  We'll 
just  take  out  the  leaves.  We  gotta  keep  the  original  o'  course, 
but  that  won't  make  any  beans  for  you.  It  won't  take  you  no 
time  to  write  'em  over  again  if  he  gives  you  a  copy." 

Somehow  it  penetrated  through  Shirley's  tired  conscious^ 
ness  that  the  man  was  trying  to  be  kind  to  her.  He  was 
pitying  her  and  offering  her  a  way  out  of  her  supposed 
dilemma,  offering  to  assist  her  in  some  of  his  own  kind  of 
deception.  The  girl  was  touched  even  through  all  her  other 
crowding  emotions  and  weariness.  She  lifted  up  ner  head 
with  a  faint  little  smile. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  said,  wearily,  "  but  that  wouldn't  do  me 
any  good." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  the  man  sharply.  "  Your  boss  would 
never  know  it  got  out  through  you." 

"  But  I  should  know  I  had  failed  !  "  she  said  sadly.  "  If 
you  had  my  notes  I  should  know  that  I  had  failed  in  my 
trust." 

**  It  wouldn't  be  your  fault.    You  couldn't  have  helped  it !  " 

279 


280  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  could,  and  I  ought.  I  shouldn't  have  let  the 
driver  turn  around.  I  should  have  got  out  of  that  car  and 
waited  at  the  station  as  Mr.  Barnard  told  me  to  do  till  he 
came.  I  had  been  warned  and  I  ought  to  have  been  on  my 
guard.  So  you  see  it  was  my  fault." 

She  drooped  her  head  forward  and  rested  her  chin  de- 
jectedly on  the  palm  of  her  hand,  her  elbow  on  her  knee.  The 
man  stood  looking  at  her  for  a  second  in  half-indignant 
astonishment. 

"  By  golly !  "  he  said  at  last.  "  You  certainly  are  some 
nut !  Well,  anyhow,  buck  up,  and  let's  have  some  tea.  Sorry 
I  can't  see  my  way  clear  to  help  you  out  any  further,  being 
as  we're  sort  of  partners  in  this  job  and  you  certainly  have 
got  some  nerve  for  a  girl,  but  you  know  how  it  is.  I  guess  I 
can't  do  no  more'n  I  said.  I  got  my  honor  to  think  about, 
too.  See  ?  Hennie !  Get  a  move  on  you.  We  ain't  waitin'  all 
night  fer  eats.  Bring  in  them  things  from  the  cupboard  and 
let's  get  to  work." 

Shirley  declined  to  come  to  the  table  when  at  last  the 
repast  was  ready.  She  said  she  was  not  hungry.  In  fact,  the 
smell  or  the  crackers  and  cheese  and  pickles  and  dried  beef 
sickened  her.  She  felt  too  hysterical  to  try  to  eat,  and  besides 
she  had  a  lingering  feeling  that  she  must  keep  near  that  piano. 
If  anything  happened  she  had  a  vague  idea  that  she  might 
somehow  hide  the  precious  notes  within  the  big  old  instrument. 

The  man  frowned  when  she  decUned  to  come  to  supper, 
but  a  moment  later  stumbled  awkwardly  across  the  room  with 
a  slopping  cup  of  coffee  and  set  it  down  beside  her. 

"  Buck  up,  girlie  !  "  he  growled.  "  Drink  that  and  you'll 
feel  better." 

Shirley  thanked  him  and  tried  to  drink  a  few  mouthfuls. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  281 

Then  the  thought  occurred  to  her  that  it  might  be  drugged, 
and  she  swallowed  no  more.  But  she  tried  to  look  a  bit 
brighter.  If  she  must  pass  this  strange  evening  in  the  com- 
pany of  these  rough  men,  it  would  not  help  matters  for  her  to 
give  way  to  despair.  So  after  toying  with  the  teaspoon  a 
moment,  she  put  the  cup  down  and  began  to  play  soft  airs  on 
the  old  piano  again  whi.  3  the  men  ate  and  took  a  stealthy 
taste  now  and  then  from  a  black  bottle.  She  watcLad  them 
furtively  as  she  played,  marvelling  at  their  softened  ex- 
pressions, remembering  the  old  line: 

"Music  hath  charms  to  soothe  the  savage  breast,"  and 
wondering  if  perhaps  there  were  not  really  something  in  it. 
jff  she  had  not  been  in  such  a  terrifying  situation  she  would 
really  have  enjoyed  the  character  study  that  this  view  of 
those  two  faces  afforded  her,  as  she  sat  in  the  shadow  playing 
softly  while  they  ate  with  the  flaring  candle  between  them. 

"  I  like  music  with  my  meals ! "  suddenly  chanted  out  the 
boy  in  an  interval.  But  the  man  growled  in  a  low  tone: 

"  Shut  up !     Ain't  you  got  no  manners  ?  " 

Shirley  prolonged  that  meal  as  much  as  music  could  do  it, 
for  she  had  no  relish  for  a  more  intimate  tete-a-tete  with 
cither  of  her  companions.  When  she  saw  them  grow  restless 
she  began  to  sing  again,  light  little  airs  this  time  with  catchy 
words ;  or  old  tender  melodies  of  home  and  mother  and  child- 
hood. They  were  songs  she  had  sung  that  last  night  in  the 
dear  old  barn  when  Sidney  Graham  and  Elizabeth  were  with 
them,  and  unconsciously  her  voice  took  on  the  wail  of  her  heart 
for  all  that  dear  past  so  far  away  from  her  now. 

Suddenly,  as  the  last  tender  note  of  a  song  died  away  Joe 
^tumbled  breathlessly  into  the  room.  The  boy  Hennie  slithered 
out  of  the  room  like  a  serpent  at  his  first  word. 


*82  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Beat  it !  "  he  cried  in  a  hoarse  whisper.  "  Get  a  move 
on!  All  hell's  out  after  us!  I  bet  they  heard  her  singin'' 
Take  her  an'  beat  it !  I'll  douse  the  fire  an'  out  the  candle. 

He  seized  a  full  bucket  of  water  and  dashed  it  over  the 
dying  fire.  Shirley  felt  the  other  man  grasp  her  arm  in  a 
fierce  grip.  Then  Joe  snuffed  out  the  candle  with  his  broad 
thumb  and  finger  and  all  was  pitch  dark.  She  felt  herself 
dragged  across  the  floor  regardless  of  furniture  in  the  way, 
stumbling,  choking  with  fear,  her  one  thought  that  whatever 
happened  she  must  not  let  her  slippers  get  knocked  off ;  hold- 
ing her  feet  in  a  tense  strain  with  every  muscle  extended  to 
keep  the  shoes  fastened  on  like  a  vise.  She  was  haunted  with 
a  wild  thought  of  how  she  might  have  slipped  under  the  piano 
and  eluded  her  captor  if  only  the  light  had  gone  out  one 
second  sooner  before  he  reached  her  side.  But  it  was  too  late 
to  think  of  that  now,  and  she  was  being  dragged  along  breath- 
lessly, out  the  front  door,  perhaps,  and  down  a  walk;  no,  it 
was  amongst  trees,  for  she  almost  ran  into  one.  The  man 
swore  at  her,  grasped  her  arm  till  he  hurt  her  and  she  cried 
out. 

"  You  shut  up  or  I'll  shoot  you ! "  he  said  with  an  oath. 
He  had  lost  all  his  suavity  and  there  was  desperation  in  his 
voice.  He  kept  turning  his  head  to  look  back  and  urging 
her  on. 

She  tripped  on  a  root  and  stumbled  to  her  knees,  bruising 
them  painfully,  but  her  only  thought  was  one  of  joy  that  her 
shoes  had  not  come  off. 

The  man  swore  a  fearful  oath  under  his  breath,  then 
snatched  her  up  and  began  to  run  with  her  in  his  arms.  It 
was  then  she  heard  Graham's  voice  calling : 


"  Shirley  !     Where  are  you  ?    I'm  coming 


t  99 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  283 

She  thought  she  was  swooning  or  dreaming  and  that  it 
was  not  really  he,  for  how  could  he  possibly  be  here?  But 
she  cried  out  with  a  voice  as  clear  as  a  bell :  "  I'm  here,  Sidney, 
come  quick ! "  In  his  efforts  to  hush  her  voice,  the  man 
stumbled  and  fell  with  her  in  his  arms.  There  came  other 
voices  and  forms  through  the  night.  She  was  gathered  up  in 
strong,  kind  arms  and  held.  The  last  thought  she  had  before 
she  sank  into  unconsciousness  was  that  God  had  not  for- 
gotten. He  had  been  remembering  all  the  time  and  sent  His 
help  before  it  was  too  late;  just  as  she  had  known  all  along 
He  must  do,  because  He  had  promised  to  care  for  His  own, 
and  she  was  one  of  His  little  ones. 

When  she  came  to  herself  again  she  was  lying  in  Sidney 
Graham's  arms  with  her  head  against  his  shoulder  feeling  oh, 
so  comfortable  and  tired.  There  were  two  automobiles  with 
powerful  headlights  standing  between  the  trees,  and  a  lot  of 
policemen  in  the  shadowy  background.  Her  captor  stood 
sullen  against  a  tree  with  his  hands  and  feet  shackled.  Joe 
stood  between  two  policemen  with  a  rope  bound  about  his 
body  spirally,  and  the  boy  Hennie,  also  bound,  beside  his 
fallen  bicycle,  turned  his  ferret  eyes  from  side  to  side  as  if 
he  hoped  even  yet  to  escape.  Two  other  men  with  hawk-like 
faces  that  she  had  not  seen  before  were  there  also,  manacled, 
and  with  eyes  of  smouldering  fires.  Climbing  excitedly  out 
of  one  of  the  big  cars  came  Mr.  Barnard,  his  usually  immacu- 
late pink  face  smutty  and  weary ;  his  sparse  white  hair  rumpled 
giddily,  and  a  worried  pucker  on  his  kind,  prim  face. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  Miss  Hollister !  How  unfortunate !  "  he 
exclaimed.  "I  do  hope  you  haven't  suffered  too  much 
inconvenience ! " 

Shirley  smiled  up  at  him  from  her  shoulder  of  refuge  as 


284  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

from  a  dream.  It  was  all  so  amusing  and  impossible  after 
what  she  had  been  through.  It  couldn't  be  real. 

"  I  assure  you  I  am  very  much  distressed  on  your  account," 
went  on  Mr.  Barnard,  politely  and  hurriedly,  "  and  I  hate  to 
mention  it  at  such  a  time,  but  could  you  tell  me  whether  the 
notes  are  safe?  Did  those  horrid  men  get  anything  away 
from  you?" 

A  sudden  flicker  of  triumph  passed  over  the  faces  of  the 
fettered  man  and  the  boy,  like  a  ripple  over  still  water  and 
died  away  into  unintelligence. 

But  Shirley's  voice  rippled  forth  in  a  glad,  clear  laugh, 
as  she  answered  joyously: 

"Yes,  Mr.  Barnard,  they  got  my  note-book,  but  not  the 
notes!  They  thought  the  Tilman-Brooks  notes  were  what 
they  were  after,  but  the  real  notes  are  in  my  shoes.  Won't 
you  please  get  them  out,  for  I'm  afraid  I  can't  hold  them  on 
any  longer,  my  feet  ache  so ! " 

It  is  a  pity  that  Shirley  was  not  in  a  position  to  see  the 
look  of  astonishment,  followed  by  a  twinkle  of  actual  apprecia- 
tion that  came  over  the  face  of  the  shackled  man  beside  the 
tree  as  he  listened.  One  could  almost  fancy  he  was  saying  to 
himself:  "The  nervy  little  nut!  She  put  one  over  on  me 
after  all!" 

It  was  also  a  pity  that  Shirley  could  not  have  got  the  full 
view  of  the  altogether  precise  and  conventional  Mr.  Barnard 
kneeling  before  her  on  the  ground,  removing  carefully,  with 
deep  embarrassment  and  concern,  first  one,  then  the  other,  of 
her  little  black  pumps,  extracting  the  precious  notes,  counting 
over  the  pages  and  putting  them  ecstatically  into  his  pocket. 
No  one  of  that  group  but  Shirley  could  fully  appreciate  the 
ludicrous  picture  he  made. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  You  are  entirely  sure  that  no  one  but  yourself  has  seen 
these  notes  ?  "  he  asked  anxiously  as  if  he  hardly  dared  to 
believe  the  blessed  truth. 

"  Entirely  sure,  Mr.  Barnard !  "  said  Shirley  happily,  "  and 
now  if  you  wouldn't  mind  putting  on  my  shoes  again  I  can 
relieve  Mr.  GrsJiam  of  the  necessity  of  carrying  me  an} 
further." 

"  Oh,  surely,  surely ! "  said  Mr.  Barnard,  quite  fussed  and 
getting  down  laboriously  again,  his  white  forelock  all  tossed, 
and  his  forehead  perplexed  over  the  unusual  task.  How  did 
women  get  into  such  a  little  trinket  of  a  shoe,  anyway? 

"  I  assure  you,  Miss  Hollister,  our  firm  appreciates  what 
you  have  done!  We  shall  not  forget  it.  You  will  see,  we 
shall  not  forget  it ! "  he  puffed  as  he  rose  with  beads  of 
perspiration  on  his  brow.  "  You  have  done  a  great  thing  for 
Barnard  and  Clegg  to-day ! " 

"  She's  done  more  than  that ! "  said  a  burly  policeman 
significantly  glancing  around  the  group  of  sullen  prisoners,  as 
Graham  put  her  upon  her  feet  beside  him.  "  She's  rounded  up 
the  whole  gang  for  us,  and  that's  more  than  anybody  else  has 
been  able  to  do  yet !  She  oughtta  get  a  medal  of  some  kind 
fer  that!" 

Then,  with  a  dare-devil  lift  of  his  head  and  a  gleam  of 
something  like  fun  in  his  sullen  eyes,  the  manacled  man  by 
the  tree  spoke  out,  looking  straight  at  Shirley,  real  admiration 
in  his  voice : 

"  I  say,  pard !  I  guess  you're  the  winner !  I'll  hand  you 
what's  comin'  to  you  if  I  do  lose.  You  certainly  had  your 
nerve ! " 

Shirley  looked  at  him  with  a  kind  of  compassion  in  her  eyes. 

"  I'm  sorry  you  have  to  be — there,"  she  finished.    a  You 


S86  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

were — as  fine  as  you  could  be  to  me  under  the  circumstances, 
I  suppose  !  I  thank  you  for  that." 

The  man  met  her  gaze  for  an  instant,  a  flippant  reply 
upon  his  lips,  but  checked  it  and  dropping  his  eyes,  was 
silent.  The  whole  little  company  under  the  trees  were  hushed 
into  silence  before  the  miracle  of  a  girl's  pure  spirit,  leaving 
its  impress  on  a  blackened  soul. 

Then,  quietly,  Graham  led  her  away  to  his  car  with 
Barnard  and  the  detectives  following.  The  prisoners  were 
loaded  into  the  other  cars,  and  hurried  on  the  way  to 
judgment. 

ow '  *»'jfi  fib/  noY   <.$  tt&ftft  ton  K«fte  •»'//    lyBto&xv&d  HOY 


CHAPTEE  XXVI 

THE  ride  back  to  the  city  was  like  a  dream  to  Shirley 
afterward.  To  see  the  staid  Mr.  Barnard  so  excited,  babbling 
away  about  her  bravery  and  exulting  like  a  child  over  the 
recovery  of  the  precious  notes,  was  wonder  enough.  But  to 
feel  the  quiet  protection  and  tender  interest  of  Sidney  Graham 
filled  her  with  ecstasy.  Of  course  it  was  only  kindly  interest 
and  friendly  anxiety,  and  by  to-morrow  she  would  have  put 
it  into  order  with  all  his  other  kindlinesses,  but  to-night, 
weary  and  excited  as  she  was,  with  the  sense  of  horror  over 
her  recent  experience  still  upon  her,  it  was  sweet  to  feel  hia 
attention,  and  to  let  his  voice  thrill  through  her  tired  heart, 
without  stopping  to  analyze  it  and  be  sure  she  was  not  too- 
glad  over  it.  What  if  he  would  be  merely  a  friend  to-morrow 
again !  To-night  he  was  her  rescuer,  and  she  would  rest  back 
upon  that  and  be  happy. 

"  \  fee]  that  I  was  much  to  blame  for  leaving  you  alone 
co  go  to  the  station  with  a  bait  like  these  notes  in  your  pos- 
session,"  said  Mr.  Barnard  humbly.  "  Though  of  course  I 
did  not  dream  that  there  was  any  such  possibility  as  your 
being  in  danger." 

"  It  is  just  as  well  not  to  run  any  risks  in  these  days  when 
the  country  is  so  unsettled,"  said  the  detective  dryly. 

"  Especially  where  a  lady  is  concerned  !  "  remarked  Graham 
significantly. 

"  I  supf  ose  I  should  have  taken  Miss  Hollister  with  me 
and  left  her  in  the  cab  while  I  transacted  my  business  at  the 

287 


£88  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

War  Department ! "  said  Barnard  with  self-reproach  in  his 
tones. 

"They  would  have  only  done  the  same  thing  in  front  of 
the  War  Department,"  said  the  detective  convincingly.  "  They 
had  it  all  planned  to  get  those  notes  somehow.  You  only 
made  it  a  trifle  easier  for  them  by  letting  the  lady  go  alone. 
If  they  hadn't  succeeded  here,  they  would  have  followed  you 
to  your  home  and  got  into  your  office  or  your  safe.  They 
are  determined,  desperate  men.  We've  been  watching  them 
for  some  time,  letting  them  work  till  we  could  find  out  who 
was  behind  them.  To-night  we  caught  the  whole  bunch  red- 
handed,  thanks  to  the  lady's  cleverness.  But  you  had  better 
not  risk  her  alone  again  when  there's  anything  like  this  on 
hand.  She  might  not  come  out  so  easy  next  time !  " 

Graham  muttered  a  fervent  applause  in  a  low  tone  to  this 
advice,  tucking  the  lap  robes  closer  about  the  girl.  Barnard 
gave  little  shudders  of  apology  as  he  humbly  shouldered  the 
blame : 

"  Oh,  no,  of  course  not !  I  certainly  am  so  sorry !  "  But 
Shirley  suddenly  roused  herself  to  explain: 

"  Indeed,  you  mustn't  any  of  you  blame  Mr.  Barnard.  He 
did  the  perfectly  right  and  natural  thing.  He  always  trusts 
me  to  look  after  my  notes,  even  in  the  most  important  cases ; 
and  I  heard  the  warning  as  much  as  he  did.  It  was  my 
business  to  be  on  the  lookout!  I'm  old  enough  and  have 
read  enough  in  the  papers  about  spies  and  ruffians.  I  ought 
to  have  known  there  was  something  wrong  when  that  boy 
ordered  me  back  and  said  Mr.  Barnard  had  sent  me  word.  I 
ought  to  have  known  Mr.  Barnard  would  never  do  that.  I 
did  know  just  as  soon  as  I  stopped  to  think.  The  trouble  was 
I  was  giving  half  my  attention  to  looking  at  the  strange  sights 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

out  of  the  window  and  thinking  what  I  would  tell  the  folk* 
at  home  about  Washington,  or  I  would  not  have  got  into 
such  a  position.  I  insist  that  you  shall  not  blame  yourself, 
Mr.  Barnard.  It  is  a  secretary's  business  to  be  on  her  job 
and  not  be  out  having  a  good  time  when  she  is  on  a  business 
trip.  I  hadn't  got  beyond  the  city  limits  before  I  knew 
exactly  what  I  ought  to  have  done.  I  should  have  asked  that 
boy  more  questions,  and  I  should  have  got  right  out  of  that 
car  and  told  him  to  tell  you  I  would  wait  in  the  station  till 
you  came  for  me.  It  troubled  me  from  the  start  that  you 
had  sent  for  me  that  way.  It  wasn't  like  you." 

Then  they  turned  their  questions  upon  her,  and  she  had  to 
tell  the  whole  story  of  her  capture,  Graham  and  Barnard 
exclaiming  indignantly  as  she  went  on,  the  detective  sitting 
grim  and  serious,  nodding  his  approval  now  and  then.  Gra- 
ham's attitude  toward  her  grew  more  tender  and  protective. 
Once  or  twice  as  she  told  of  her  situation  in  the  old  house, 
or  spoke  of  how  the  man  dragged  her  along  in  the  dark,  he 
set  his  teeth  and  drew  his  breath  hard,  saying  in  an  undertone : 
"  The  villain !  "  And  there  was  that  in  the  way  that  he  looked 
at  her  that  made  Shirley  hasten  through  the  story,  because 
of  the  wild,  joyous  clamor  of  her  heart. 

As  soon  as  the  city  limits  were  reached,  Graham  stopped 
the  car  to  telephone.  It  was  after  eleven  o'clock,  and  there 
was  little  chance  that  George  would  have  stayed  at  the  phone 
so  long,  but  he  would  leave  a  message  for  the  early  morning 
at  least.  George,  however,  had  stuck  to  his  post. 

"Sure!    I'm  here  yet!    What'd  ya  think  ?    Couldn't  sleep, 

could  I,  with  my  sister  off  alone  with  a  fella  somewhere  being 

kidnapped?    What'd  ya  say?    Found  her?    She's  all  right? 

Oh,  gee !    That's  good !    I  told  Carol  you  would !    I  told  he? 

10 


290  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

not  to  worry !  What'd  ya  say?  Oh,  Shirley's  going  to  talk? 
Oh,  hello,  Shirley!  How's  Washington?  Some  speed,  eh? 
Say,  when  ya  coming  home  ?  To-morrow  ?  That's  good.  No, 
mother  doesn't  know  a  thing.  She  thinks  I  went  to  bed  early 
'cause  I  planned  to  go  fishing  at  sunrise.  She  went  to  bed 
herself  early.  Say,  Mister  Graham's  a  prince,  isn't  he  ?  Well, 
I  guess  I'll  go  to  bed  now.  I  might  make  the  fishing  in  the 
morning  yet,  if  I  don't  sleep  too  late.  I  sure  am  glad  you're 
all  right !  Well,  so  long,  Shirley !  " 

Shirley  turned  from  the  phone  with  tears  in  her  eyes.  It 
wasn't  what  George  said  that  made  her  smile  tenderly  through 
them,  but  the  gruff  tenderness  in  his  boy  tones  that  touched 
her  so.  She  hadn't  realized  before  what  she  meant  to  him. 

They  drove  straight  to  the  station,  got  something  to  eat, 
and  took  the  midnight  train  back  to  their  home  city.  Graham 
had  protested  that  Shirley  should  go  to  a  hotel  and  get  a  good 
rest  before  attempting  the  journey,  but  she  laughingly  told 
him  she  could  rest  anywhere,  and  would  sleep  like  a  top  in 
the  train.  When  Graham  found  that  it  was  possible  to 
secure  berths  in  the  sleeper  for  them  all,  and  that  they  would 
not  have  to  get  out  until  seven  in  the  morning  he  withdrew 
his  protests;  and  his  further  activities  took  the  form  of  sup- 
plementing her  supper  with  fruit  and  bonbons.  His  lingering 
hand-clasp  as  he  bade  her  good-night  told  her  how  glad  he 
was  that  she  was  safe ;  as  if  his  eyes  had  not  told  her  the  same 
story  every  time  there  had  been  light  enough  for  them  to  be 
seen! 

Locked  at  last  into  her  safe  little  stateroom,  with  a  soft 
bed  to  lie  on  and  no  bothersome  notes  to  be  guarded,  one 
would  have  thought  she  might  have  slept,  but  her  brain  kept 
time  to  the  wheels,  and  her  heart  with  her  brain.  She  was 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  291 

going  over  and  over  the  scenes  of  the  eventful  day,  and  living 
through  each  experience  again,  until  she  came  to  the  moment 
when  she  looked  up  to  find  herself  in  Sidney  Graham's  arms, 
with  her  face  against  his  shoulder.  Her  face  glowed  in  the 
dark  at  the  remembrance,  and  her  heart  thrilled  wildly  sweet 
with  the  memory  of  his  look  and  tone,  and  all  his  carefulness 
for  her.  How  wonderful  that  he  should  have  come  so  many 
miles  to  find  her !  That  he  should  have  been  the  one  to  find 
her  first,  with  all  those  other  men  on  the  hunt.  He  had 
forged  ahead  and  picked  her  up  before  any  of  the  others  had 
reached  her.  He  had  not  been  afraid  to  rush  up  to  an  armed 
villain  and  snatch  her  from  her  perilous  position !  He  was  a 
man  among  men !  Never  mind  if  he  wasn't  her  own  personal 
property !  Never  mind  if  there  were  others  in  his  own  world 
who  might  claim  him  later,  he  was  hers  for  to-night!  She 
would  never  forget  it! 

She  slept  at  last,  profoundly,  with  a  smile  upon  her  lips 
No  dream  of  villains  nor  wild  automobile  rides  came  to  trouble 
her  thoughts.  And  when  she  woke  in  the  home  station  with 
familiar  sounds  outside,  and  realized  that  a  new  day  was  before 
her,  her  heart  was  flooded  with  a  happiness  that  her  common 
sense  found  it  hard  to  justify.  She  tried  to  steady  herself 
while  she  made  her  toilet,  but  the  face  that  was  reflected 
rosily  from  the  mirror  in  her  little  dressing  room  would  smile 
contagiously  back  at  her. 

"Well,  then,  have  it  your  own  way  for  just  one  more 
day ! "  she  said  aloud  to  her  face  in  the  glass.  "  But  to- 
morrow you  must  get  back  to  common  sense  again !  "  Then 
she  turned,  fresh  as  a  rose,  and  went  out  to  meet  her  fellow 
travellers. 

She  went  to  breakfast  with  Sidney  Graham,  a  wonderful 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

breakfast  in  a  wonderful  place  with  fountains  and  palms  and 
quiet,  perfect  service.  Mr.  Barnard  had  excused  himself  and 
hurried  away  to  his  home,  promising  to  meet  Shirley  at  the 
office  at  half -past  nine.  And  so  these  two  sat  at  a  little  round 
table  by  themselves  and  had  sweet  converse  over  their  coffee. 
Shirley  utterly  forgot  for  the  time  that  she  was  only  a  poor 
little  stenographer  working  for  her  bread  and  living  in  a 
barn.  Sidney  Graham's  eyes  were  upon  her,  in  deep  and  un- 
veiled admiration,  his  spirit  speaking  to  hers  through  the 
quiet  little  commonplaces  to  which  he  must  confine  himself 
in  this  public  place.  It  was  not  till  the  meal  was  over  ano? 
he  was  settling  his  bill  that  Shirley  suddenly  came  to  herself 
and  the  color  flooded  her  sweet  face.  What  was  she  better 
than  any  other  poor  fool  of  a  girl  who  let  a  rich  man  amuse 
himself  for  a  few  hours  in  her  company  and  then  let  him 
carry  her  heart  away  with  him  to  toss  with  his  collection? 
She  drew  her  dignity  about  her  and  tried  to  be  distant  as 
they  went  out  to  the  street,  but  he  simply  did  not  recognize 
it  at  all.  He  just  kept  his  tender,  deferential  manner,  and 
smiled  down  at  her  with  that  wonderful,  exalted  look  that 
made  her  dignity  seem  cheap ;  so  there  was  nothing  to  do  but 
look  up  as  a  flower  would  to  the  sun  and  be  true  to  the  best 
that  was  in  her  heart. 

She  was  surprised  to  find  his  own  car  at  the  door  when 
they  came  out  on  the  street.  He  must  have  phoned  for  it 
before  they  left  the  station.  He  was  so  kind  and  thoughtful. 
It  was  so  wonderful  to  her  to  be  cared  for  in  this  way.  <e  Just 
as  if  I  were  a  rich  girl  in  his  own  social  set,"  she  thought  to 
herself. 

He  gave  his  chauffeur  the  orders  and  sat  beside  ber  in  the 
back  seat,  continuing  his  role  of  admirer  and  protector. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  293 

"  It  certainly  is  great  to  think  you're  here  beside  me,"  he 
said  in  a  low  tone  as  they  threaded  their  way  in  and  out  of  the 
crowded  thoroughfare  toward  the  office.  "I  didn't  have  a 
very  pleasant  afternoon  and  evening  yesterday,  I  can  tell  you  I 
I  don't  think  we'll  let  you  go  off  on  any  more  such  errands. 
You're  too  precious  to  risk  in  peril  like  that,  you  know ! " 

Shirley's  cheeks  were  beautiful  to  behold  as  she  tried  to 
lift  her  eyes  easily  to  his  glance  and  take  his  words  as  if  they 
had  been  a  mere  commonplace.  But  there  was  something 
deep  down  in  the  tone  of  his  voice,  and  something  intent  and 
personal  in  his  glance  that  made  her  drop  her  eyes  swiftly 
and  covered  her  with  a  sweet  confusion. 

They  were  at  the  office  almost  immediately  and  Graham 
was  helping  her  out. 

"  Now,  when  will  you  be  through  here  ?"  he  asked,  glancing 
at  his  watch.  "  What  train  were  you  planning  to  take  down 
to  the  shore  ?  "  I  suppose  you'll  want  to  get  back  as  soon  as 
possible?" 

"Yes,"  said  Shirley,  doubtfully,  "I  do.  But  I  don't 
know  whether  I  oughtn't  to  run  out  home  first  and  get  mother's 
big  old  shawl,  and  two  or  three  other  little  things  we  ought  to 
have  brought  along." 

"No,"  said  Graham,  quickly,  with  a  flash  of  anxiety  in 
his  face,  "  I  wouldn't  if  I  were  you.  They'll  be  anxious  to 
see  you,  and  if  it's  necessary  you  can  run  up  again  sometime. 
I  think  you'll  find  there  are  lots  of  shawls  down  at  the  cottage. 
I'm  anxious  to  have  you  safely  landed  with  your  family  once 
more.  I  promised  Carol  you'd  be  down  the  first  train  after 
you  got  your  work  done.  How  long  is  it  going  to  take  you 
to  fix  Mr.  Barnard  up  so  he  can  run  things  without  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  more  than  two  hours  I  should  think,  unless 
Ke  wants  something  more  than  I  know." 


294  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"Well,  two  hours.  It  is  half -past  nine  now.  We'll  say 
two  hours  and  a  1  alf .  That  ought  to  give  you  time.  I  think 
there's  a  train  about  then.  I'll  phone  to  the  station  and  find 
out  and  let  you  know  the  exact  time.  The  car  will  be  here 
waiting  for  you." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Graham,  that's  not  a  bit  necessary !  You  have 
tgien  trouble  enough  for  me  already ! "  protested  Shirley. 

"  No  trouble  at  all !  "  declared  Graham.  "  My  chauffeur 
hasn't  a  thing  to  do  but  hang  around  with  the  car  this  morning 
and  you  might  as  well  ride  as  walk.  I'll  phone  you  in  plenty 
of  time." 

He  lifted  his  hat  and  gave  her  a  last  look  that  kept  the 
glow  in  her  cheeks.  She  turned  and  went  with  swift  steps  in 
to  her  elevator. 

Sidney  Graham  dropped  his  chauffeur  at  the  station  to 
enquire  about  trains  and  get  tickets,  with  orders  to  report  at 
his  office  within  an  hour,  and  himself  took  the  wheel.  Quickly 
working  his  way  out  of  the  city's  traffic  he  put  on  all  possible 
speed  toward  Glenside.  He  must  get  a  glimpse  of  things  and 
see  that  all  was  going  well  before  he  went  to  the  office.  What 
would  Shirley  have  said  if  she  had  carried  out  her  plan  of 
coming  out  for  her  mother's  shawl?  He  must  put  a  stop  to 
that  at  all  costs.  She  simply  must  not  see  the  old  barn  till 
the  work  was  done,  or  the  whole  thing  would  be  spoiled. 
Strange  it  had  not  occurred  to  him  that  she  might  want  to 
come  back  after  something!  Well,  he  would  just  have  to  be 
on  the  continual  lookout.  For  one  thing  he  would  stop  at  a 
etore  on  the  way  back  and  purchase  a  couple  of  big  steamer 
rugs  and  a  long  warm  cloak.  He  could  smuggle  them  into 
the  cottage  somehow  and  have  the  servants  bring  them  out 
for  common  use  as  if  they  belonged  to  the  nous? 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  295 

He  was  as  eager  as  a  child  over  every  little  thing  that  had 
been  started  during  his  absence,  and  walked  about  with  the 
boss  carpenter,  settling  two  or  three  questions  that  had  come 
up  the  day  before.  In  ten  minutes  he  was  back  in  his  car, 
whirling  toward  the  city  again,  planning  how  he  could  best 
get  those  rugs  and  cloaks  into  the  hands  of  the  housekeeper 
at  the  shore  without  anybody  suspecting  that  they  were  new. 
Then  it  occurred  to  him  to  take  them  down  to  Elizabeth  and 
let  her  engineer  the  matter.  There  must  be  two  cloaks,  one  for 
Shirley,  for  he  wanted  to  take  her  out  in  the  car  sometimes 
and  her  little  scrap  of  a  coat  was  entirely  too  thin  even  for 
summer  breezes  at  the  shore. 

Shirley  met  with  a  great  ovation  when  she  entered  the 
office.  It  was  evident  that  her  fame  had  gone  before  her. 
Mr.  Barnard  was  already  there,  smiling  benevolently,  and 
Mr.  Clegg  frowning  approvingly  over  his  spectacles  at  her, 
Che  other  office  clerks  came  to  shake  hands  or  called  congratu- 
lations, till  Shirley  was  quite  overwhelmed  at  her  reception, 
Clegg  and  Barnard  both  followed  her  into  the  inner  offica 
and  continued  to  congratulate  her  on  the  bravery  she  had 
shown  and  to  express  their  appreciation  of  her  loyalty  and 
courage  in  behalf  of  the  firm.  Mr.  Barnard  handed  her  a 
check  for  a  hundred  dollars  as  a  slight  token  of  their  appre- 
ciation of  her  work,  telling  her  that  beginning  with  the  first 
of  the  month  her  salary  was  to  be  raised. 

When  at  last  she  sat  down  to  her  typewriter  and  began 
to  click  out  the  wonderful  notes  that  had  made  so  much  trouble, 
jind  put  them  in  shape  for  practical  use,  her  head  was  in  a 
whirl  and  her  heart  was  beating  with  a  childish  ecstasy.  She 
felt  as  if  she  were  living  a  real  fairy  tale,  and  would  not  ever 
be  able  to  get  back  to  common  every-day  life  again* 


296  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

At  half -past  eleven  Graham  called  her  up  to  tell  her  there 
was  a  train  a  little  after  twelve  if  she  could  be  ready,  and  the 
car  would  be  waiting  for  her  in  fifteen  minutes. 

When  she  finally  tore  herself  away  from  the  smiles  and 
effusive  thanks  of  Barnard  and  Clegg  and  took  the  elevator 
down  to  the  street  she  found  Sidney  Graham  himself  awaiting 
her  eagerly.  This  was  a  delightful  surprise,  for  he  had  not 
Baid  anything  about  coming  himself  or  mentioned  when  he 
would  be  coming  back  to  the  shore,  so  she  had  been  feeling 
that  It  might  be  some  time  before  she  would  see  him  again. 

He  had  just  slammed  the  door  of  the  car  and  taken  his 
Beat  beside  her  when  a  large  gray  limousine  slowed  down  beside 
them  and  a  radiant,  well-groomed,  much-tailored  young 
woman  leaned  out  of  the  car,  smiling  at  Graham,  and  passing 
over  Shirley  with  one  of  those  unseeing  stares  wherewith  some 
girls  know  so  well  how  to  erase  other  girls. 

"Oh,  Sidney !  I'm  so  glad  I  met  you  1"  she  cried.  "Mother 
has  been  phoning  everywhere  to  find  you.  We  are  out  at  our 
country  place  for  a  couple  of  weeks,  and  she  wants  to  ask  you 
to  come  over  this  afternoon  for  a  little  tennis  tournament  we 
are  having,  with  a  dance  on  the  lawn  afterward1." 

"  That's  very  kind  of  you,  Harriet/'  said  Graham  pleas- 
antly, "  but  I  can't  possibly  be  there.  I  have  an  engagement 
out  of  town  for  this  afternoon  and  evening.  Give  my  regards 
to  your  mother,  please,  and  thank  her  for  the  invitation.  1 
know  you'll  have  a  lovely  time,  you  always  do  at  your  house/' 

"  Oh,  that's  too  bad,  Sidney ! "  pouted  the  girl.  "  Why 
will  you  be  so  busy !  and  in  the  summer-time,  too !  You  ought 
to  take  a  vacation !  Well,  if  you  can't  come  to-night,  you'll  run 
down  over  the  week-end,  won't  you?  We  are  having  the 
Foresters  and  the  Harvey3.  You  like  them,  and  we  simply 
can't  do  without  you/' 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  297 

"Sorry,"  said  Graham,  smilingly,  "but  I've  got  all  my 
week-ends  filled  up  just  now.  Harriet,  let  me  introduce  you 
to  Miss  Hollister.  Miss  Hale,  Miss  Hollister ! " 

Then  did  Harriet  Hale  have  to  take  over  her  unseeing 
stare  and  acknowledge  the  introduction;  somewhat  stiffly,  it 
imust  be  acknowledged,  for  Harriet  Hale  did  not  enjoy  having 
•her  invitations  declined,  and  she  could  not  quite  place  this 
girl  with  the  lovely  face  and  the  half -shabby  garments,  that 
yet  had  somehow  an  air  of  having  been  made  by  a  French 
artist. 

"  I'm  sorry,  Harriet,  but  we'll  have  to  hurry  away.  We're 
going  to  catch  a  train  at  twelve-fifteen.  Hope  you  have  a 
beautiful  time  this  afternoon.  Eemember  me  to  Tom  Harvey 
and  the  Foresters.  Sorry  to  disappoint  you,  Harriet,  but  you 
see  I've  got  my  time  just  full  up  at  present.  Hope  to  see  you 
soon  again." 

They  were  off,  Shirley  with  the  impression  of  Harriet 
Hale's  smile  of  vinegar  and  roses;  the  roses  for  Graham,  the 
vinegar  for  her.  Shirley's  heart  was  beating  wildly  under- 
neath her  quiet  demeanor.  She  had  at  last  met  the  wonderful 
Harriet  Hale,  and  Graham  had  not  been  ashamed  to  intro- 
duce her!  There  had  been  protection  and  enthronement  in 
his  tone  as  he  spoke  her  name !  It  had  not  been  possible  for 
Miss  Hale  to  patronize  her  after  that.  Shirley  was  still  in  a 
daze  of  happiness.  She  did  not  think  ahead.  She  had  all  sha 
could  do  to  register  new  occurrences  and  emotions,  and  realize 
that  her  joy  was  not  merely  momentary.  It  had  not  occurred 
to  her  to  wonder  where  Graham  was  going  out  of  town.  It 
was  enough  that  he  was  here  now. 

When  they  reached  the  station  Graham  took  two  large 
packages  out  of  the  car,  and  gave  some  directions  to  the 
chauffeur. 


*98  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  Sorry  we  couldn't  have  gone  down  in  the  car  again/'  he 
said  as  they  walked  into  the  station,  "  but  it  needs  some  re- 
pairs and  I  don't  want  to  take  as  long  a  run  as  that  until  it 
has  been  thoroughly  overhauled." 

Then  he  was  going  down  too !  He  had  declined  Harriet 
Hale's  invitation  to  go  back  to  the  cottage  with  her !  Shirley's 
breath  came  in  little  happy  gasps  as  she  walked  beside  her 
companion  down  the  platform  to  the  train. 

She  found  herself  presently  being  seated  in  a  big  green 
velvet  chair  in  the  parlor  car  while  the  porter  stowed  away 
the  two  big  packages  in  the  rack  overhead. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THERE  was  only  one  other  passenger  in  the  car,  an  old 
man  nodding  behind  a  newspaper,  with  his  chair  facing  in  the 
other  direction.  Graham  took  a  swift  survey  of  him  and 
turned  happily  back  with  a  smile  to  Shirley : 

"At  last  I  have  you  to  myself ! "  he  said  with  a  sigh  of 
satisfaction  that  maab  Shirley's  cheeks  bloom  out  rosily  again. 

He  whirled  her  chair  and  his  quite  away  from  the  vision 
of  the  old  man,  so  that  they  were  at  the  nearest  possible  angle 
to  each  other,  and  facing  the  windows.  Then  he  sat  down  and 
leaned  toward  her. 

"Shirley,"  he  said  in  a  tone  of  proprietorship  that  was 
tender  and  beautiful,  "  I've  waited  just  as  long  as  I'm  going 
to  wait  to  tell  you  something.  I  know  it's  lunch  time,  and 
I'm  going  to  take  you  into  the  dining-car  pretty  soon  and  get 
you  some  lunch,  but  I  must  have  a  little  chance  to  talk  with 
you  first,  please." 

Shirley's  eyes  gave  glad  permission  and  he  hurried  on. 

"  Shirley,  I  love  you.  I  guess  you've  been  seeing  that 
for  some  time.  I  knew  I  ought  to  hide  it  till  you  knew  me 
better,  but  I  simply  couldn't  do  it.  I  never  saw  a  girl  like 
you,  and  I  knew  the  minute  I  looked  at  you  that  you  were 
of  finer  clay  than  other  girls,  anyway.  I  knew  that  if  I 
couldn't  win  you  and  marry  you  I  would  never  love  anybody 
else.  But  yesterday  when  I  heard  you  were  in  peril  away  off 
down  in  Washington  and  I  away  up  here  helpless  to  save 
you,  a^d  not  even  having  the  right  to  organize  a  search  for 
you,  I  nearly  went  wild!  All  the  way  down  on  the  train  I 

299 


800  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

kept  shutting  my  eyes  and  trying  to  pray  the  way  yon  told 
your  Sunday  School  boys  how  to  pray.  But  all  I  could  get 
out  was,  'Oh,  God,  I  love  her!  Save  her!  I  love  her!' 
Shirley,  I  know  I'm  not  one-half  worthy  enough  for  you,  but 
I  love  you  with  all  my  heart  and  I  want  you  for  my  wife. 
Will  you  marry  me,  Shirley  ?  " 

When  she  had  recovered  a  little  from  her  wonder  and 
astonishment,  and  realized  that  he  had  asked  her  to  marry 
him,  and  was  waiting  for  his  answer,  sht  lifted  her  wondering 
eyes  to  his  face,  and  tried  to  speak  as  her  conscience  and 
reason  bade  her. 

"But  I'm  not  like  the  other  girls  you  know/'  she  said 
bravely.  Then  he  broke  in  upon  her  fervently. 

"  No,  you're  not  like  any  other  girl  I  know  in  the  whole 
wide  world.  Thank  God  for  that!  You  are  one  among  a 
thousand !  No,  you're  one  among  the  whole  earthf  ul  of  women  I 
You're  the  only  one  I  could  ever  love ! " 

"But  listen,  please;  you  haven't  thought.  I'm  not  a 
society  girl.  I  don't  belong  in  your  circle.  I  couldn't  grace 
your  position  the  way  your  wife  ought  to  do.  Eemember, 
we're  nobodies.  We're  poor !  We  live  in  a  barn!  " 

"  What  do  you  suppose  I  care  about  that  ?  "  he  answered 
eagerly.  "  You  may  live  in  a  barn  all  your  days  if  you  like, 
and  I'll  love  you  just  the  same.  I'll  come  and  live  in  the 
barn  with  you  if  you  want  me  to.  My  position !  My  circle ! 
What's  that  ?  You'll  grace  my  home  and  my  life  as  no  other 
girl  could  do.  You  heart  of  my  heart!  You  strong,  sweet 
spirit!  The  only  question  I'm  going  to  ask  of  you  is,  Can 
you  love  me?  If  you  can,  I  know  I  can  make  you  happy, 
for  I  love  you  better  than  my  life.  Answer,  please.  Do  you 
love  me?" 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  301 

She  lifted  her  eyes,  and  their  spirits  broke  through  their 
glances.  If  the  old  man  at  the  other  end  of  the  car  was  looking 
they  did  not  know  it. 

They  came  back  to  the  cottage  at  the  shore  with  a  manner 
so  blissful  and  so  unmistakable  that  even  the  children  noticed. 
Elizabeth  whispered  to  Carol  at  table :  "  My  brother  likes  your 
sister  a  lot,  doesn't  he?  I  hope  she  likes  him,  too." 

"  I  guess  she  does/'  responded  Carol  philosophically.  "  She 
oughtta.  He's  been  awfully  good  to  her,  and  to  all  of  us." 

"People  don't  like  people  just  for  that,"  said  wise 
Elizabeth. 

Harley,  out  on  the  veranda  after  dinner,  drew  near  to  Carol 
to  confide. 

"  Say,  kid,  I  guess  he  has  got  a  case  on  her  dll  right  now. 
Gee !  Wouldn't  that  be  great  ?  Think  of  all  those  cars !  " 

But  Carol  giggled. 

"  Good  night !  Harley !  How  could  we  ever  have  a  wed- 
ding in  a  barn  ?  And  they're  such  particular  people,  too ! " 

"Aw,  gee !  "  said  Harley,  disgusted.  "  You  girls  are  always 
thinking  of  things  like  that !  As  if  that  mattered.  You  can 
get  married  in  a  chicken-run  if  you  really  have  a  case  like 
that  on  each  other!  You  make  me  tired!"  and  he  f talked 
away  in  offended  male  dignity. 

Meantime  the  unconscious  subjects  of  this  discussion  had 
<*one  to  Mrs.  Hollister  to  confess,  and  the  sea  was  forgotten 
by  all  three  for  that  one  evening  at  least,  even  though  the 
moon  was  wide  and  bright  and  gave  a  golden  pathway  across 
the  dark  water.  For  a  great  burden  had  rolled  from  Mrs. 
Hollister's  shoulders  when  she  found  her  beloved  eldest  daugh- 
ter was  really  loved  by  this  young  man,  and  he  was  not  just 
amusing  himself  for  a  little  while  at  her  expense. 


302  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

The  days  that  followed  were  like  one  blissful  fleeting  dream 
to  Shirley.  She  just  could  not  get  used  to  the  fact  that  she 
was  engaged  to  such  a  prince  among  men !  It  seemed  as  if 
she  were  dreaming,  and  that  presently  she  would  wake  up  and 
find  herself  in  the  office  with  a  great  pile  of  letters  to  write, 
and  the  perplexing  problem  before  her  of  where  they  were 
going  to  live  next  winter.  She  had  broached  that  subject 
once  to  Graham  shyly,  saying  that  she  must  begin  to  look 
around  as  soon  as  she  got  back  to  town,  and  he  put  her  aside, 
asking  her  to  leave  that  question  till  they  all  went  back,  as  he 
had  a  plan  he  thought  she  might  think  well  of,  but  he  couldn't 
tell  her  about  it  just  yet.  He  also  began  to  urge  her  to  write 
at  once  to  Mr.  Barnard  and  resign  her  position,  but  that  she 
would  not  hear  of. 

"  No,"  she  said  decidedly.  "  We  couldn't  live  without  my 
salary,  and  there  are  a  lot  of  things  to  be  thought  out  and 
planned  before  I  can  be  married.  Besides,  we  need  to  get  to 
know  each  other  and  to  grow  into  each  other's  lives  a  little 
bit.  You  haven't  any  idea  even  now  how  far  I  am  from 
being  fitted  to  be  the  wife  of  a  man  in  your  position.  You 
may  be  sorry  yet.  If  you  are  ever  going  to  find  it  out,  I  want 
you  to  do  it  beforehand." 

He  looked  adoringly  into  her  eyes. 

"  I  know  perfectly  now,  dear  heart ! "  he  said,  "  and  I'm 
not  going  to  be  satisfied  to  wait  a  long  time  for  you  to  find 
out  that  you  don't  really  care  for  me  after  all.  If  you've  got 
to  find  that  out,  I  believe  I'd  rather  it  would  be  after  I  have 
you  close  and  fast  and  you'll  have  to  like  me  anyway." 

And  then  the  wonder  and  thrill  of  it  all  would  roll  over 
her  again  and  she  would  look  into  his  eyes  and  be  satisfied. 

Still  she  continued  quite  decided  that  nothing  could  be 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  SOS 

done  about  prolonging  her  vacation,  for  she  meant  to  go  back 
to  Barnard  and  Clegg's  on  the  day  set. 

"  You  know  I'm  the  man  of  the  house/'  she  said  archly. 
"I  can't  quite  see  it  at  all  myself — how  I'm  ever  going  to 
give  up." 

"  But  I  thought  I  was  going  to  be  the  man  of  the  house,^ 
pleaded  Sidney.  "I'm  sure  I'm  quite  capable  and  eager  to 
look  out  for  the  interests  of  my  wife's  family." 

"But  you  see  I'm  not  the  kind  of  a  girl  that  has  been 
looking  around  for  a  man  who  will  support  my  family." 

"  No,  you  surely  are  not !  "  said  the  young  man,  laughing. 
"  If  you  had  been,  young  lady,  I  expect  you'd  have  been  looking 
yet  &o  far  as  I  am  concerned.  It  is  because  you  are  what  you 
are  that  I  love  you.  Now  that's  all  right  about  being  inde- 
pendent, but  it's  about  time  to  fight  this  thing  to  a  finish.  I 
don't  see  why  we  all  have  to  be  made  miserable  just  because 
there  are  a  lot  of  unpleasant  precedents  and  conventions  and 
crochets  in  the  world.  Why  may  I  not  have  the  pleasure  of 
helping  to  take  care  of  your  perfectly  good  family  if  I  want 
to  ?  It  is  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures  to  which  I  am  looking 
forward,  to  try  and  make  them  just  as  happy  as  I  can,  so  that 
you  will  be  the  happier.  I've  got  plenty  to  do  it  with.  God 
has  been  very  good  to  me  in  that  way,  and  why  should  you  try 
to  hinder  me  ?  " 

And  then  the  discussion  would  end  in  a  bewildering  look 
of  worshipful  admiration  on  Shirley's  part  and  a  joyous  taking 
possession  of  her  and  carrying  her  off  on  some  ride  or  walk  01 
other  on  the  part  of  Graham. 

He  did  not  care  just  now  that  she  was  slow  to  make  plans. 
fie  was  enjoying  each  day,  each  hour,  to  the  full.  He  wanted 
to  keep  her  from  thinking  about  the  future,  and  especially 


304  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

about  the  winter,  till  she  got  home,  and  so  he  humored  her 
and  led  her  to  other  topics. 

One  night,  as  they  sat  on  the  dark  veranda  alone,  Graham 
said  to  George : 

"  If  you  were  going  to  college,  where  would  you  want  to 
prepare  ?  " 

He  wondered  what  the  boy  would  say,  for  the  subject  of 
college  had  never  been  mentioned  with  relation  to  George. 
He  did  not  know  whether  the  boy  had  ever  thought  of  it. 
But  the  answer  came  promptly  in  a  ringing  voice : 

"  Central  High !  They've  got  the  best  football  team  IB 
the  city." 

"  Then  you  wouldn't  want  to  go  away  to  some  preparatory 
school?" 

"No,  sir!"  was  the  decided  answer.  "I  believe  in  the 
public  school  every  time !  When  I  was  a  little  kid  I  can  re« 
member  my  father  taking  me  to  walk  and  pointing  out  the 
Central  High  School,  and  veiling  me  thp.t  some  day  I  would 
go  there  to  school.  I  used  to  always  call  that  'my  school.' 
I  used  to  think  I'd  get  there  yet,  some  day,  but  I  guess  that's 
out  of  the  question." 

"  Well,  George,  if  that's  your  choice  you  can  get  ready  to 
enter  as  soon  as  you  go  back  to  the  city." 

"  What  ?  "  George's  feet  came  down  from  the  veranda 
railing  with  a  thud,  and  he  sat  upright  in  the  darkness  and 
stared  wildly  at  his  prospective  brother-in-law.  Then  he 
slowly  relaxed  and  his  young  face  grew  grim  and  stern. 

"  No  chance !  "  he  said  laconically. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I've  got  my  mother  and  the  children  to  sup- 
port. I  can't  waste  time  going  to  school.  I've  got  to  be  a 
man." 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  305 

Something  sudden  like  a  choke  came  in  the  young  znan'i 
throat,  and  a  great  love  for  the  brave  boy  who  was  so  cour- 
ageous in  his  self-denial. 

"  George,  you're  not  a  man  yet,  and  you'll  shoulder  the 
burden  twice  as  well  when  you're  equipped  with  a  college 
education.  I  mean  you  shall  have  it.  Do  you  suppose  I'm 
going  to  let  my  new  brother  slave  away  before  his  time? 
No,  sir;  you're  going  to  get  ready  to  make  the  best  man 
that's  in  you.  And  as  for  your  mother  and  the  family,  isn't 
she  going  to  be  my  mother,  and  aren't  they  to  be  my  family  ? 
We'll  just  shoulder  the  job  together,  George,  till  you're  older — • 
and  then  we'll  see." 

"  But  I  couldn't  take  charity  from  anybody." 

"  Not  even  from  a  brother  ?  " 

"  Not  even  from  a  brother." 

"Well,  suppose  we  put  it  in  another  way.  Suppose  you 
borrow  the  money  from  me  to  keep  things  going,  and  when 
you  are  ready  to  pay  it  back  we'll  talk  about  it  then.  Or, 
better  still,  suppose  you  agree  to  pass  it  on  to  some  other 
brother  when  you  are  able." 

They  talked  a  long  time  in  the  dark,  and  Graham  had 
quite  a  hard  time  breaking  down  the  boy's  reserve  and  inde- 
pendence,  and  getting  a  real  brotherly  confidence.  But  at  last 
George  yielded,  saw  the  common  sense  and  right  of  the  thing, 
and  laid  an  awkward  hand  in  the  man's,  growling  out: 

"  You're  a  pippin  and  no  mistake,  Mr.  Graham.  I  can't 
ever  thank  you  enough !  I  never  thought  anything  like  this 
would  happen  to  me !  " 

"Don't  try  thanks,   George.     We're  brothers  now,  you 
know.     Just  you  do  your  best  at  school,  and  it's  all  I  ask. 
Shirley  and  I  are  going  to  be  wonderfully  proud  of  you.    But 
20 


306  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

please  don't  call  me  Mr.  Graham  any  more.  Sid,  or  Sidney, 
or  anything  you  like,  but  no  more  mistering." 

He  filing  a  brotherly  arm  across  the  boy's  shoulders  and 
together  they  went  into  the  house. 

Meantime  the  beautiful  days  went  by  in  one  long,  golden 
dream  of  wonder.  The  children  were  having  the  time  of  their 
livey,  and  Elizabeth  was  never  so  happy.  Shirley  sat  on  the 
wide  verandas  and  read  the  wealth  of  books  and  magazines 
which  the  house  contained,  or  roamed  the  beach  with  the 
children  and  Star,  or  played  in  the  waves  with  Doris,  and 
wondered  if  it  were  really  Shirley  Hollister  who  was  iiaving 
all  this  good  time. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE  morning  they  all  started  back  to  the  city  was  a 
memorable  one.  Graham  had  insisted  that  Shirley  ask  for  a 
holiday  until  Tuesday  morning  so  that  she  might  go  up  with 
them  in  the  car,  and  have  the  whole  day  to  be  at  home  and 
help  her  mother  get  settled.  She  had  consented,  and  found 
to  her  surprise  that  Mr.  Barnard  was  most  kind  about  it.  He 
had  even  added  that  he  intended  to  raise  her  salary,  and  she 
might  consider  that  hereafter  she  was  to  have  ten  dollars 
more  per  month  for  her  services,  which  they  valued  very 
highly. 

George  had  sent  his  resignation  to  the  store  and  was  not 
to  go  back  at  all.  Graham  had  arranged  that,  for  school 
began  the  day  after  his  return  and  he  would  need  to  be  free 
at  once. 

Elizabeth,  to  her  great  delight,  was  to  go  with  the  Hoi- 
listers  and  remain  a  few  days  until  her  parents  returned. 
Mrs.  Graham  had  written  from  the  West  making  a  proposi- 
tion to  Mrs.  Hollister  that  Carol  be  allowed  to  go  to  school 
with  Elizabeth  the  next  winter,  because  Mrs.  Graham  felt 
it  would  be  so  good  for  Elizabeth  to  ha\e  a  friend  like  that 
Mrs.  Hollister,  however,  answered  that  she  felt  it  better  for 
her  little  girl  to  remain  with  her  mother  a  little  longer;  and 
that  she  did  not  feel  it  would  be  a  good  thing  for  her  child, 
who  would  be  likely  to  have  a  simple  life  before  her  with  very 
few  luxuries,  to  go  to  a  fashionable  finishing-school  where  the 
standards  must  all  necessarily  be  so  different  from  those  of 
her  own  station  in  life,  and,  kind  as  the  offer  had  been,  she 
must  decline  it.  She  did  not  say  that  Carol  had  fairly  bristled 

307 


308  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

at  the  idea  of  leaving  her  beloved  high  school  now  when  she 
was  a  senior  and  only  one  year  before  her  graduation.  That 
bit  of  horror  and  hysterics  on  Carol's  part  had  been  carefully 
suppressed  within  the  four  walls  of  her  mother's  room;  but 
Elizabeth,  deeply  disappointed,  had  wept  her  heart  out  over 
the  matter,  and  finally  been  comforted  by  the  promise  that 
Mrs.  Hollister  would  write  and  ask  Mrs.  Graham  to  allow 
Elizabeth  to  go  to  school  with  Carol  the  coming  winter.  That 
proposition  was  now  on  its  way  West,  together  with  an  an- 
nouncement of  Sidney's  engagement  to  Shirley.  Sidney  was 
confidently  expecting  congratulatory  telegrams  that  morning 
when  he  reached  the  city.  He  had  written  his  father  in  detail 
all  about  their  plans  for  returning,  and  how  the  work  at  the 
old  barn  was  progressing,  and  Mr.  Graham,  Senior,  was  toa 
good  a  manager  not  to  plan  to  greet  the  occasion  properly. 
Therefore  Graham  stopped  at  his  office  for  a  few  minutes 
before  taking  the  family  out  to  Glenside,  and,  sure  enough, 
came  down  with  his  hands  full  of  letters  and  telegrams,  and 
one  long  white  envelope  which  he  put  carefully  in  his  breast 
pocket.  They  had  a  great  time  reading  the  telegrams  and 
letters. 

The  way  out  to  Glenside  seemed  very  short  now,  watching 
as  they  did  for  each  landmark.  The  children  were  as  eager  to 
get  back  as  they  had  been  to  leave,  and  Star  snuggled  in 
between  Harley's  feet,  held  his  head  high,  and  smiled  benev- 
olently on  everybody,  as  if  he  knew  he  was  going  home  and 
was  glad.  They  began  to  wonder  about  the  chickens,  and  if 
the  garden  was  all  dried  up,  and  whether  the  dove,*  were  all 
right.  There  was  an  undertone  of  sadness  and  suppressed 
excitement,  for  it  was  in  the  minds  of  all  the  Hollisters  that 
the  time  in  the  old  barn  must  of  necessity  be  growing  brief. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  309 

The  fall  would  soon  be  upon  them,  and  a  need  for  warmth. 
They  must  go  hunting  for  a  house  at  once.  And  yet  they  all 
wanted  this  one  day  of  delight  before  they  faced  that  question. 

At  last  they  reached  the  final  curve  and  could  see  the  tall 
old  tree  in  the  distance,  and  the  clump  of  willows  knee-deep 
in  the  brook.  By  common  consent  they  all  grew  silent,  watch- 
ing for  the  first  glimpse  of  the  dear  old  barn. 

Then  they  came  around  the  curve,  and  there  it  was !  But 
tfhat  was  the  matter? 

Nobody  spoke.  It  seemed  as  if  they  could  not  get  their 
breath. 

Shirley  rubbed  her  eyes,  and  looked  again.  Mrs.  Hollister 
gave  a  startled  look  from  her  daughter  to  Graham  and  back 
to  the  barn  again.  Elizabeth  and  Carol  were  utterly  silent, 
grasping  each  other's  hands  in  violent  ecstasy.  The  boys 
murmured  inarticulately,  of  which  the  only  audible  words 
were :  "  Good  night !  Some  class !  "  Doris  looked  for  a  long 
jecond,  puckered  her  lips  as  if  she  were  going  to  cry,  and 
inquired  pitifully:  "I  yant  my  dear  barn  house  home!  I 
jant  to  doh  home !  "  and  Star  uttered  a  sharp,  bewildered  bark 
and  bounded  from  the  car  as  if  this  were  something  he  ought 
to  attend  to. 

But  before  anybody  could  say  anything  more,  Graham 
brought  out  the  long  white  envelope  and  handed  it  to  Shirley, 

"  Before  you  get  out  and  go  in  I  just  want  to  say  a  word,31 
he  began.  "  Father  and  I  both  want  Shirley  to  have  the  old 
barn  for  her  very  own,  to  do  with  as  she  pleases.  This  en- 
velope contains  the  deed  for  the  property  made  out  in  her 
name.  We  have  tried  to  put  it  in  thorough  repair  before 
handing  it  over  to  her,  and  if  there  is  anything  more  she  can 
think  of  that  it  needs  we'll  do  that  ,',oo.  And  now,  welcome 
home  to  the  old  barn!  Mother,  may  I  help  you  out?" 


310  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

"  But  there  isn't  any  barn  any  more,"  burst  forth  the 
irrepressible  Elizabeth.  "  The  barn's  gone !  It's  just  a  house !  " 

And,  sure  enough,  there  stood  a  stately  stone  mansion  on  a 
wide  green  terrace,  where  shrubs  and  small  trees  were  grouped 
fittingly  about,  erasing  all  signs  of  the  old  pasture-land ;  and 
the  old  grassy  incline  to  the  door  now  rolled  away  in  velvety 
lawn  on  either  side  of  a  smooth  cement  walk  bordered  with 
vivid  scarlet  geraniums.  Trailing  vines  and  autumn  flowers 
were  blossoming  in  jars  on  the  wide  stone  railing.  The  old 
barn  door  had  been  replaced  by  glass  which  gave  a  glimpse  of 
strange  new  rooms  beyond,  and  the  roof  had  broken  forth  in 
charming  colonial  dormer  windows  like  a  new  French  hat  on 
a  head  that  had  worn  the  same  old  poke  bonnet  for  years.  No 
wonder  Doris  didn't  recognize  the  dear  old  barn.  It  did  seem 
as  though  a  wizard  had  worked  magic  upon  it.  How  was  one 
to  know  that  only  a  brief  half-hour  before  the  old  gardener 
from  the  Graham  estate  set  the  last  geranium  in  the  row 
along  the  walk,  and  trailed  the  last  vine  over  the  stone  wall ; 
or  that  even  now  the  corps  of  men  who  had  been  hastily  laying 
and  patting  the  turf  in  place  over  the  terrace  were  in  hiding 
down  in  the  basement,  with  their  wheelbarrows  and  picks  and 
spades,  having  beat  a  hasty  retreat  at  the  sound  of  the  car 
coming,  and  were  only  waiting  till  they  could  get  away  unob- 
served? For  orders  were  orders,  and  the  orders  were  that 
the  work  was  to  be  done  and  every  man  out  of  sight  by  the 
time  they  arrived.  A  bonus  to  every  man  if  the  orders  were 
obeyed.  That  is  what  money  and  influence  can  do  in  a  month ! 

In  due  time  they  got  themselves  out  of  that  car  in  a  sort 
of  bewildered  daze  and  walked  up  the  new  cement  path, 
feeling  strangely  like  intruders  as  they  met  the  bright  stare 
of  the  geraniums. 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  311 

They  walked  the  length  of  the  new  piazza  in  delight.  They 
exclaimed  and  started  and  smiled  and  almost  wept  in  one 
another's  arms.  Graham  stood  and  watched  Shirley's  happy 
face  and  was  satisfied. 

The  first  thing  Doris  did  when  she  got  inside  the  lovely 
glass  door  was  to  start  to  run  for  her  own  little  willow  chair 
and  her  own  little  old  rag  doll  that  had  been  left  behind,  and 
down  she  went  on  the  slippery  floor.  And  there,  behold,  the 
old  barn  floors  too  had  disappeared  under  a  coating  of  simple 
matched  hardwood  flooring,  oiled  and  polished  smoothly,  and 
Doris  was  not  expecting  it. 

She  got  up  quickly,  half  ashamed,  and  looked  around 
laughing. 

"  I  vas  skating !  "  she  declared  with  a  ringing  laugh.  "  I 
skated  yite  down  on  mine  nose/' 

Then  she  hurried  more  cautiously  to  the  haven  of  her 
own  chair,  and  with  her  old  doll  hugged  to  her  breast  she 
reiterated  over  and  over  as  if  to  reassure  herself :  "  Mine  I 
Doris!  Mine!  Doris !" 

Words  would  fail  to  describe  all  they  said  about  the  won- 
derful rooms,  the  walla  all  shining  in  a  soft  rough-finish 
plaster,  tinted  creamy  on  the  upper  half  and  gray  below,  and 
finished  in  dark  chestnut  trimmings;  of  the  beautiful  stair- 
case and  the  wide  bay  window  opening  from  the  first  landing 
like  a  little  half-way  room,  with  seats  to  rest  upon.  It  was 
standing  in  this  bay  window  that  Graham  first  called  Mrs. 
Hoilister's  attention  to  something  strange  and  new  outside/ 
behind  the  house.  It  was  a  long,  low  glass  building  with 
green  things  gleaming  through  its  shining  roof. 

"  There,  mother,"  he  said,  coming  up  softly  behind  her. 
"  There  is  your  plaything.  You  said  you  had  always  wanted 


312  THE  ENCHANTED  BARN 

a  hot-house,  so  we  made  you  one.  It  is  heated  from  a  coil  in 
the  furnace,  and  you  can  try  all  the  experiments  with  flowers 
you  want  to.  We  put  in  a  few  things  to  start  with,  and  you 
can  get  more  at  your  leisure." 

Mrs.  Hollister  gave  one  look,  and  then  turned  and  put 
her  arms  around  the  tall  young  man,  reaching  up  on  her  tip- 
toes to  do  so,  brought  his  handsome  face  down  to  hers,  and 
kissed  him. 

"  My  dear  son ! "  she  said.  That  was  all,  but  he  knew 
that  she  had  accepted  him  and  given  him  a  loving  place  with 
her  own  children  in  her  heart. 

There  were  shoutings  and  runnings  up  stairs  and  down  by 
first  one  and  then  another.  The  bathrooms  were  discovered 
one  by  one,  and  then  they  had  to  all  rush  down  into  the  base- 
ment by  the  new  stairs  to  see  the  new  laundry  and  the  new 
furnace,  and  the  entrance  to  the  hot-house ;  and  the  hot-house 
itself,  with  its  wealth  of  bloom  transplanted  from  the  Graham 
greenhouses. 

They  almost  forgot  the  chickens  and  the  doves,  and  the 
garden  was  a  past  Eden  not  to  be  remembered  till  long  hours 
afterward. 

The  sunset  was  dying  away  in  the  sky,  and  the  stars  were 
large  and  few  and  piercing  in  the  twilight  night  when  Shirley 
and  Sidney  came  walking  up  the  terrace  arm  in  arm,  and 
found  Doris  sitting  in  the  doorway  cuddling  her  old  rag  doll 
and  a  new  little  gray  kitten  the  farmer  next  door  had  brought 
her,  and  singing  an  evening  song  to  herself. 

Shirley  and  Sidney  turned  and  looked  off  at  the  sky  where 
a  rosy  stain  was  blending  softly  into  the  gray  of  evening. 

"Do  you  remember  the  first  night  we  stood  here  to- 
gether?" Sidney  said  in  a  low  tone,  as  he  drew  her  fingers 


THE  ENCHANTED  BARN  313 

within   his   own.      "I   loved   you   then,    Shirley,    that   first 


And  then  Doris's  little  shrill  voice  chimed  above  their 
murmurings  : 

"  Oh,  mine  nice  dear  home  !  Mine  kitty  an'  mine  dolly  ! 
and  mine  piazza  !  and  mine  bafwoom  wif  a  place  to  swim 
boats!  an'  mine  f'owers  an'  pitty  house!  No  more  barn! 
Barn  all  dawn!  Never  turn  bat  any  mohl  Oh,  mine  nice, 
pitty  dear  home  !  " 


THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  SANTA  CRUZ 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  DATE  stamped  below. 


JAN  24  19/3 
JAN  7    mm 
NOVU1973 
NOV  21  RECTO 

NOV9   '83 

OCT  2  6  1983  REC'D 


100m-8,'65(F6282s8)2373 


TOREO  AT  NRLF 


PS3515.I486E5  1918 


